The Girl with the Green Hair
by ZeldaRubix
Summary: Link is contemplating marriage, but has second thoughts due to his clashes with the royal family and the secrets they posses. Things get more complicated when a mysterious woman comes into his life that reminds him of his beloved childhood friend Saria. Rated T for language, action, and adult situations. This does not stringently follow canon. REWRITE COMPLETE 4/26/2013.
1. Chapter 1

**Inspiration: Saria from OoT, she's a wonderful character; Elincia from Fire Emblem (I think if Saria grew up she would look like that lol); OoT.**

**Author Notes: This story does not follow canon precisely. There will be made up histories and stories involving LoZ characters. If this bothers you please don't read it, because I'm not changing it. This story was originally completed 2/27/2012-5/20/2012. I'm revamping it to correct the grammar (I still may miss some here and there), to include different POV's, and add more content in the succeeding chapters. This story will have elliptical & adverbial clauses (refer to my profile if you don't know what that is), so please make sure you're aware of that if you want to review. I'm revamping this story on 12/27/2012 in the hopes of getting it done within a month (or months I can't make promises lol), and so that some of you can know where some of the fictional history came from for _How Zelda Got Her Groove Back. _Thanks and I hope you like it. ~ZR~.**

**I do not own any intellectual properties, it all is owned and licensed by Nintendo EDA.**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

_I wonder how many Hylians contemplate on the premise of something being missing in their lives. It seems like it would be a simple enough activity. However, introspection can be one of the hardest things to do, especially if an individual isn't honest with their self. Why am I thinking about this, and why is this of importance now? I've been reflecting on the concept because my life is about to change in an enormous way. _

_How?_

_Let me explain._

_This should be a good time for me; a happy time actually._ _There's a certain kind of irony that goes with this, because I'm the Hero of _Time_._ _So, time is relative in how I speak about it. Anyway, I rescued Hyrule eight years ago from the clutches of an evil dictator named Ganondorf, and freed the seven the sages to protect his seal. I should be in a surreal place right now, but I'm not._

_Why?_

_I can't really say for certain._ _I'm twenty-five. I'm about to get married to the most beautiful woman in the world. I have every amenity at my disposal. I have the respect of the kingdom. I have the respect of the court. The citizens are free and living content lives. There is nothing more that I could possibly want. So, why am I so discontent?_

_That's the question that's been plaguing my mind for the last eight years. I don't necessarily have an answer for it. However, lately that inquiry has been demanding a requisition. I've been trying to figure out for years what this restlessness is that's been toiling inside me. I can only attribute it to one thing: I think I could possibly be making a big mistake._ _What mistake?_ _Becoming the king of Hyrule._

_King…_

_I'm a warrior, not a politician._ _In fact, I have a strong distaste for politicians. They are the first to urinate on the citizens, and then convince them it's raining. I know that seems like a disgusting analogy, but it's true. I never wanted a life like that for myself. I never wanted to be shackled to a throne. I'm used to being free. I'm used to roaming the countryside, and living my life as I see fit. Not standing in a carriage to make appearances to different proxies for trade envoys. Not smiling and putting up a guise of friendship with people I normally distaste. Not pretending that an enemy of Hyrule isn't an enemy of Hyrule. That isn't who I am._

_I like my freedom._ _I like my sense of credulity. I like my life of adventure. In all honesty, it's all I've ever known. However,_ _don't misunderstand. I don't want to be king not because I am afraid of responsibility, but because I know the true weight of what that office holds._

_The current king of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen, tells that tale all too well. I consider him the ultimate politician. He has a tenacity, and a placated nature that makes him perfect for that office. However, those same attributes are what put him and I at odds from time to time. It's been nothing too tense, but the undercurrent of verve has always been there. In any such case, that doesn't seem to matter, and since I carry the title, Hero of Time, I have very little choice otherwise. _

_I was going to become the king. _

_Daphnes was making sure of that._

_That's why I've waited eight years. Eight years of expectancies and marriage proposals can wear a man down, and truthfully, I still don't think I'm ready. However, the king of Hyrule can be very convincing when he wants to be. What do I mean?_ _I would rather not say._

_By all accounts, I should be ecstatic. I'm marrying the most sought after woman not in just my region, but in all the surrounding regions of Hyrule. Some of the princes acquainted with Zelda still find it incredulous that she would choose a woodland inhabitant over a regent of a country. I'm not going to lie, I find it intriguing as well. However,_ _Hyrule's crown jewel, princess Zelda, was a very unorthodox woman. Nothing about her was as it seemed. Many of the pomp and circumstance crowd _didn't _know that about her. They would probably be flabbergasted if they knew about her days as a disguised Sheikah._

The thought of that made me chuckle.

_Zelda is beautiful, there is no denying that. Her golden strawberry blonde hair, and perfect hourglass silhouette made pondering what was under her dresses a less cumbersome activity. Her wisdom out shined and out witted any sly individual who tried to challenge her. Her Sage-ship and duty rivaled, and perhaps surpassed her father's charge as king._

_She is perfect._

_Maybe too perfect._

_I often asked myself what I had in common with her. We both shared the burden of bearing the Triforce, and we both saved Hyrule. That was where our similarities ended. Even still, she wants to marry me._ _I don't know why Zelda wants to marry me, but she does. I have nothing to offer her in terms of a dowry, or connections in terms of diplomatic favors. I have nothing a princess would see as useful to becoming king._

_Zelda tells me she loves me, and I believe her. She's been putting up with my procrastination for the last eight years, so I guess it must be true._ _What woman in her right mind, besides a woman in love, would stay with a man for eight years without a ring on her finger?_ _I want Zelda to be happy. She has endured so much for the sake of Hyrule, and if I can give her a small sense of solace, I will. She deserves it._

_However, here's my problem: I'm not in love with Zelda._ _Don't get me wrong, I love her, but as for that deep important emotional connection, I just don't feel it with her._ _Maybe it's my commoner woodland past. Maybe it's the different social standings. Maybe it's the history of the royal family. Or... maybe I'm just overreacting, I don't know, but for whatever reason I'm not in love with her._ _I see it in Zelda's eyes when she looks at me, but I can't reciprocate it._ _A man can't reciprocate what he doesn't feel._ _Even still, I asked her to marry me on the eve of our eighth year of acquaintance. Of course she said yes, and now the whole kingdom is in a buzz about our upcoming wedding._

_So, why do I have these doubts?_ _Every man has their doubts I suppose, marriage is a big deal. However, that still doesn't explain why I'm so hesitant to commit._ _Maybe it's because I've_ felt_ that reciprocated feeling for someone else once a long time ago. I know it may seem strange, and time often makes people forget such things, but there was something about that girl that I can't simply forget. I actually still have an inkling for her even though it's been years, and I know I can never be with her._

_What was it about her that made her so special?_

_Nothing and everything._

_She was simple. She was one of a kind. She didn't ask for much in her innocent existence._ _She was just a sweet girl who was my best friend._ _I say 'was' because I haven't seen her in eight years. After finding out her real identity, and the fact she was a sage, that halted any intentions I had with her. Even still,_ _I never had to prove anything to her to make her love me. She loved me first, and that made me want to love her back._

_Who was she?_

_Her name was Saria._ _She's__ a sage of the forest, she lives in the Sacred Realm, and I miss her terribly._ _I couldn't be with her for various reasons, but the main one was because she was a Kokiri and_ _I'm a Hylian._

_It just... could never be._

_Even still, the problem wasn't necessarily her race, but the circumstances surrounding her heritage. Kokiri never age past ten years old; she will forever stay in a childlike state. As such, I had to grow up without her, even though sometimes I wish I didn't._ _Fighting Ganon was easier than losing her._

_Seriously. _

_That's just how I felt about it._

_I could tell her anything, and never feel silly doing so. That's important for a man. Anyway, I still think about her, and I hope she's doing well._ _I hope she's safe._ _I know she's doing her duty, but I often wonder if she thinks of me the way I think of her._ _I know it's a silly depressing thing to ponder over, but life is full of reflections. __Saria just happens to be one of mine._

At present, I was walking in Hyrule Castle Town looking for a bazaar shop that specialized in male wedding attire. I often walked to reflect on things. It was a great way for me to have some time alone. I was told I could send out servants to take care of such menial tasks, but I enjoyed small things like this too much to allay it to the care of someone else. Besides, it provided me a minor escape from the confines of the castle, and allowed me to mix informally with the citizens. I wanted to enjoy as much freedom as possible. I knew one day such leisure walks would be a thing of the past.

_That day is fast approaching, _I thought.

I continued through the cobblestone square, and was stopped every once in a while to be greeted with a bid of thanks by some of the town's people. Many of them were simple merchants, and business men. They often reminded me how grateful they were that Ganondorf's rule was circumvented.

"Mr. Link!" a young man exclaimed and ran up to me. "I have a gift for you!"

The young man handed me a hand crafted whistle. I grinned and took it gratefully.

_It actually looks pretty good, _I thought.

"Thank you," I replied with appreciation, "how long did it take you to carve this?"

The young man was surprised by my question, and lifted his eyebrows.

"Less than an hour," he divulged.

I looked at him surprised and then reexamined the whistle.

"You have talent," I said, "something like this would've taken me a week."

He looked at me shocked.

"Really sir?" he inquired. "You?"

I knew everyone thought of me as a hero, but I had my limitations like anyone else.

_That's the trial of a title Link, _I told myself.

"Yes," I replied, and the pocket the gift in my satchel, "thank you for the consideration."

The young man bowed, then suddenly took hold of the cloak I was wearing.

"Thank you so much Hero of Time," he said with a trembling voice, "I can't tell you how grateful I am that I still have my wife and son."

His words were sobering to me, and reminded me of how close Hyrule was to becoming a haven for Ganondorf.

_That was a dark time for everyone, _I thought.

I nodded, but was a little overcome by his praise and adulation.

"You don't need to thank me," I replied serious, "you would have done the same thing if you were given the means."

The young man avoided my eyes and shook his head in disagreement.

"I can't say that I would sir," he said honest as he walked away, "bless you Link, bless you."

I stared after the man for a moment, thinking about his apt confession.

_Maybe it is presumptuous of me to think everyone would do the same thing, _I thought. _Hyrule was under Ganondorf's reign for seven years before it was stopped by me. No one dared to challenge him, but in all honesty what was to be expected from simple farmers? They had to think of their families._

I didn't linger on the matter too much, and continued my search for the store. The large cream colored and brown effaced building on the east side of Castle Town housed the general bazaar. I started my search there. I entered the shop, and a large burly man was behind the oak wood counter. He perked when he saw me enter; he was probably thinking rupee signs.

I grinned at the change in his disposition.

_Let's see what bargains he has today, _I thought, going up to the counter and resting my gauntlet straddled arm on the rest.

"So, how is our soon to be king doing today?" the burly man asked in a gratuitous voice. "What can I help you with sir?"

I looked beyond the man, and immediately noticed the weaponry on the shelves in the back.

_A new arrow quiver would be excellent for target practice, _I thought, _but I'm not here for that. Zelda would have a fit._

"I need to have some clothes made," I began.

The burly man nodded in agreement. "For your wedding no doubt."

I smirked and shook my head.

"News travels fast, doesn't it?" I asked, realizing I had only asked Zelda to marry me the other day.

"There are always ears listening in the castle young master," the burly man stated.

_Well, that's a comforting thought, _I pondered sarcastic.

"Can you make the clothes for me?" I asked, remembering why I was there.

The burly man scratched the back of his neck.

"I don't specialize in seams master Link," he stated, "but I do know a new cloak maker that just moved into the area. She set up shop in Kakariko Village with a gentleman who owns a bazaar shop there. I heard she was a rather breathtaking girl."

I nodded, and ignored his added information.

_I only care if she knows how to sew, _I thought.

"Thank you, I'll head over there now," I replied, and turned to head for the door.

The shop owner raised his eyebrows at me walking away.

"Uh… is there some other ware I can help you with good sir?" the burly man asked me, hoping I wouldn't leave before spending a rupee or two. "I noticed your back is unharnessed, even a skilled man like you needs to be on guard."

_I'll give him this, _I thought, pausing at the door, _he knows how to latch a deal._

I turned back around and eyed the quiver once more beyond his head.

_That is a beauty, _I thought.

"How much are you selling the quiver for?" I asked.

"For you, one hundred rupees," the man replied.

I raised my eyebrows and nodded at the price. "Not bad."

"You are going to be the future king, sir knight," he goaded, "I only give my best prices to my best customers. I'll even throw in paraffin wax so you can keep the wood shiny," the man added.

I smirked again at the man's customer savvy.

"You drive a good bargain," I said, "all right, I'll take it."

The man immediately fist pumped himself in recognition to his business prowess. "I knew you were a man of good tastes."

_Of course, _I thought sarcastic.

I grinned and paid the rupees. I then picked up the quiver and tightened the leather latch.

"It's pretty sturdy," I complimented, "this is well made."

I put my new quiver over my shoulders and felt how it rested behind my back; it fit perfectly.

"It was _made_ for you Sir Link," the man said proud, "be sure to tell your friends in arms to come and visit me. I'm building a new weapon shop soon."

_What can be expected from a wares peddler? _I wondered.

"I'm sure it was," I replied, keenly aware of merchant theatrics, "and I'll spread the word, thanks."

I turned and left the bazaar. I was about to head for the draw bridge leading to Hyrule Field, when I stopped and realized I had to head back to the castle.

_Wait a minute… _I thought with a trail, _isn't Zelda is waiting for me? _I asked myself.

I quickly answered my own question, and headed in the opposite direction in the town square. I had nearly forgotten my lunch date with the princess. She made me promise her the day before not to overlook it. I quickened my step as I headed for the castle.

_It skipped my mind just that quickly,_ I thought. _Never keep a princess waiting._

I hurried past the castle gate, and sprinted over the perfectly manicured gardens and veered to the side entrance of the secondary internal garden. I paused for a moment so a guard wouldn't catch me lurking in the thickets of the bushes. Once he passed, I hurried toward the center of the area and stood erect. I removed my cloak in a hurry and ran a hand through my blonde hair.

_That was close Link, _I told myself.

A few moments later Zelda appeared with several servants. She came from the hall, leading from the castle to the outer gardens where I was waiting for her.

_Act natural, _I thought, plastering on a smile, _one thing a woman is perceptive to is when a man forgets what he is supposed to do._

I bowed after removing my green hat.

"Good morning your highness," I said.

Zelda smiled at my pleasantry and bowed in return, she then gestured for me to sit at a table she had prepared for the two of us. I nervously cleared my throat as I sat down.

_Good save, _I commended myself.

Zelda then sat down across from me; she was an absolute vision in pink. Her hair was crowned with a wreath arrangement of flowers. Her long blonde hair was brushed off her shoulders down her back. Her soft blue eyes looked at me with warmth and love. She looked like the epitome of womanhood.

_She looks beautiful, _I couldn't help but admire.

I smiled at the princess, hoping she didn't notice my now sweaty disposition from my run.

_Come on breeze, _I prayed of the air, _cool me off._

In any such case, Zelda didn't seem to notice, and clapped her hands. At the beckoning, the servants obliged a meal fit for a king and queen.

_This is certainly something, _I thought, knowing this was too much food for two people, especially Zelda, who ate very small portions.

I looked down at the opulence and didn't know if I should eat the delicacies or just stare at them. Zelda noticed my dilemma and giggled sympathetically.

"What's the matter darling?" she asked me.

I raised my eyebrows and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Nothing, I suppose," I replied.

Zelda shook her head and smiled.

"They won't bite Link," she said, pouring me a cup of tea, "they're waiting for you to bite them."

I blushed, realizing how foolhardy I seemed. However, that had always been my problem. I didn't know royal etiquette very well, even after eight years of being around the princess.

_You would think I picked something up by now, _I thought.

"They're just so pretty," I stated, with a poor attempt at humor.

Zelda laughed again.

"Oh Link," she said breathless, then decided to change the subject, "tell me about your morning. What have you been up to?"

I picked up what I thought was a tea cake and ate it.

"Well-" I started with a full mouth.

Zelda raised a brow and cleared her throat.

"Ahem," she interrupted me politely, "Link... you still have food in your mouth my love."

I raised both my eyebrows, and looked at her a little stunned, not knowing if I should be embarrassed or annoyed.

_I guess maybe I did bring that upon myself, _I thought, _just fix it and move on. That was pretty untoward for a princess to see._

I quickly chewed and swallowed the cake.

"I went to Castle Town this morning," I said, trying to ignore my discomfiture.

"Were you shopping?" Zelda asked me with a hopeful undertone.

I nodded.

"Actually, I was," I replied, "I'm looking for a seamstress or tailor to design my wedding outfit."

Zelda's face lit up when I said that.

"That's wonderful!" she replied happily. "But don't you think it's a little early to have your clothes made?"

I shrugged, not really considering the notion.

"I figured better now than never," I said.

Zelda chuckled at my logic.

"I suppose my love," she said shaking her head, and then added, "I can't really scold you, when I just spoke to father about having a seamstress brought in from Gerudo Valley to design my wedding dress."

I looked at her puzzled just then.

"A Gerudo seamstress?" I asked. "Why a Gerudo seamstress?"

Zelda's smile widened at my inquiry.

"When I was disguised as Sheik," she started, "I'd get my clothing tailored by this magnificent Gerudo woman who lived behind the waterfalls. Every time I tore my outfit, she'd mend it for me."

When Zelda mentioned herself as Sheik, I couldn't help but feel a genuine sense of admiration for her. It was a very dangerous undertaking to aid me the way she did on my journey. I would always be grateful for the solace and comfort her songs and wisdom gave me, always.

_She really is an extraordinary person, _I thought, _one I hope I'm worthy of._

"That's wonderful that you remember her so vividly," I replied honest, eating another cake, "I'm sure she'll be more than glad to help you."

Zelda looked away for a moment and sighed.

"She assisted me during some of my darkest times," she said, "I hope she honors me by making my dress."

I smiled at her sincerity.

"I don't think she'll refuse Zelda," I replied, "I'm sure she'll consider it an honor."

Zelda looked back at me and grinned.

"I hope not," she replied, then added with excitement, "I can't believe we're already planning our wedding Link. Isn't this amazing?"

I grinned at her happiness.

_This means so much to her, _I thought.

"It is," I said, eating another cake.

Zelda looked away from me again and blushed suddenly.

"To be honest, I thought you were never going to ask me," she detracted, changing the subject. "We'd been courting for so long, I thought maybe we were going to enter middle age as unsettled adults."

I looked at her and suddenly felt guilty.

_She's right, _I thought, _I've been stringing her along for years, getting her hopes up and down. Now that I finally proposed, it seems like all that time just flashed by. I wish I could have some of it back honestly. She has no idea how many times I've thought about reneging, and it's only been two days. _

I sighed at my thoughts, and looked over at the future queen.

"I had to be sure Zelda," I said honest, "I couldn't ask for your hand if I wasn't sure."

I was providing lip service, because I still wasn't sure, and to be honest I didn't think I ever would be. However, my words apparently had the right effect, she smiled again.

"So, you're sure now?" she said sardonic. "Well, at least _that_ is a relief."

Zelda giggled again, and I smiled at her sense of joy.

_I love her smile, _I thought sincere.

"I just want you to be happy again," I said, reaching over and taking her hand in mine.

Zelda looked at me and squeezed my hand affectionately.

"I am happy," she said, "I can't wait to be your wife Link."

I squeezed her hand back.

"I can't wait for you to be my wife either," I said back softly.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye the servants conspicuously whispering to each other about our conversation. I had to admit, the lack of privacy was bothersome and something I would never get used to.

_I feel like I'm in a harem with all the gossip about Zelda and I, _I thought.

It must have showed on my face because Zelda asked me, "What's the matter my love?"

I sighed, not wanting to answer right away, but I averted my eyes to the direction of the servants.

"Oh," Zelda replied, understanding the action, and then turned to them, "ladies you are dismissed. I'll call you if I need you."

The servants gave minor looks of disappointment, before bowing and exiting the garden to the castle. I sighed in relief once they were gone.

_Everything Zelda and I say is under a lens of truth, _I thought, _we can never have a casual conversation alone._

"Thank the goddess," I muttered to myself of their departure.

Zelda looked at me a slightly concerned. She got up from her seat and stood behind me in mine. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around my neck, letting her hands drape at my chest. It was a nice consoling gesture.

"This world is so different for you, isn't it?" she whispered in my ear. "You're so used to being able to come and go as you please and say what you feel without regret or consequence. I'm sorry it's such a drastic change, but I know you can do this. You defeated Ganon."

I knew she was trying to comfort me, but it wasn't really working.

_I like my privacy, _I thought, _nothing is going to change that._

"Ganon has nothing on court life," I joked halfhearted, "maybe that's what drove him crazy."

Zelda squeezed me tight and rested her head on my shoulder.

"I love you Link," she said softly.

I hesitated when she uttered that.

_I know you do,_ I thought, _but... can I honestly live like this?_

"I love you too," I heard myself say.

_Do I mean that? _I wondered. _Am I lying to her?_

Zelda nuzzled her pretty face against my neck and sighed. She was always so loving and womanly to me. It was an attractive feature about her. However, a moment later she jumped up from her affections and stood erect. I looked at her concerned thinking something was wrong, but then turned my head to the garden castle entrance and saw that her father king Daphnes came into the garden.

_Oh boy, _I thought.

I jumped up myself just then and bowed.

_I think every man is terrified of their soon to be in laws, _I thought.

Daphnes Nohansen was a man with a powerful presence. He was six feet five inches tall, with a strong jawline, and deep reflective brown eyes. The grey hair of his head and beard, and the fifty-two years of age of his life was deceptive to the muscular countenance he kept clothed at all times in his kingly garb. I never underestimated the strength and might of this king, even if I was a hero. I sparred with Daphnes on too many occasions to think he could be felled easily. I knew what kind of power that left hook of his had, and I also knew how brilliant he was with his favorite form of fighting: fencing.

_I still need to get that tunic mended from when he serrated it, _I thought

The king stopped short of Zelda and me and smiled. If there was one weakness in Daphnes' imposing presence, that would be the love he had for his daughter. He doted on Zelda the way any king would dote on a princess, but he was also very shrewd with the dealings with his daughter. He knew that she was very capable in her own right.

Zelda left my side to go give her father a hug. He hugged her back tight, then let her go and walked over to me with her hand in his. He placed a hand on my shoulder garnering my attention.

_You have it sire, _I thought, keeping the grin from spreading across my face.

"I just want to say," Daphnes began, in his deep perpetuating voice, "you have my utmost respect for having the courage to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage."

I raised my eyebrows and looked at him tentatively just then. Daphnes was always known for his blunt, brisk rhetoric. The inflection of sarcasm in his voice was a nuance I've learned to overlook through the years. Even still, there were some days he got under my skin.

_Ignore it Link, _I told myself.

"Thank you sire," I replied.

Zelda squeezed her father's hand affectionately at my reply.

"It's imbued in his spirit father," she said with admiration, "he _does_ have the Triforce of Courage."

I smiled at Zelda, and Daphnes nodded.

"Indeed my dear," he said to her.

I looked between the two of them, before focusing back on the king.

"Your daughter is a special lady your majesty," I said deferential, "I hope I'm worthy of her."

Daphnes smiled at my humility.

"You're more than worthy," he said to me, "I couldn't ask for a better man to be my son-in-law."

I bowed respectfully at his words. Daphnes then let Zelda's hand go and placed it in mine.

"You two are Hyrule's future," Daphnes said serious, "it's very important that you understand what your duty means."

I swallowed hard after hearing that. Heading Hyrule's destiny was a huge responsibility, one that I was not taking lightly.

_The future of this country is going to be in our hands… _I thought with a trail.

There was a brief silence between all of us before Daphnes broke it.

"We always have a rite of passage for the princes and soon to be kings with the hunting of the royal elk," Daphnes stated abruptly. "Tomorrow I'd like you to join me Link in the hunt, as it is the heritage and tradition of the royal family."

I looked at king Daphnes in surprise. Royal elks were the rarest animals in the entire kingdom.

_An invitation from the king himself? _I thought in disbelief.

"I'd be honored your majesty," I replied.

_This is really happening, _I thought incredulous, _I'm really taking the steps to become the next king of Hyrule._

"Father can I come too?" Zelda asked, not wanting to be left out.

The king smiled at his daughter and caressed her cheek.

"I have to say no this time my dear," Daphnes replied, "this is a rite for princes and kings only."

Zelda gave her father an upset look, but then digressed to his reason.

"Very well," she said with a sigh, "I guess I can live with that, if it's tradition."

I smiled at Zelda, and squeezed her hand.

"When I become king that will be the first tradition to go," I said as a joke.

Daphnes didn't find the comment funny.

"Speaking of which," the king said, changing the subject, "I've just received report that you are on the lookout for wedding attire."

I tried not to, but I looked at the king shocked.

_I just left Castle Town, _I thought in disbelief, _how could he possibly know this already?_

"Sire…" I trailed, not sure if I should go on.

"Stop this silly escapade," Daphnes continued, ignoring my trail, "I'll have your clothes made by the royal seamstress immediately."

I tried not to show it, but I was very annoyed by the intrusion. It was already starting, and I wasn't even king yet.

_Let me see if I can salvage this without arousing his anger, _I thought.

"That's quite alright your majesty," I said, trying to keep my tone respectful, "I'd like to do this venture on my own. It is for _me_, so I feel I'm the best suited for the endeavor."

The king fanned off my words with a gesture of the hand.

"Nonsense," Daphnes said, ignoring me, "I've already commissioned it."

I raised my eyebrows and took in a deep breath. At this point, even Zelda could see my annoyance.

_He always does this, _I thought, having to remember to keep my cool.

"Father…" the princess trailed uncomfortably, hoping her father would catch her drift.

It wasn't necessary. I could fight my own battles. However, I knew Zelda wanted to avoid a confrontation. She had mediated between Daphnes and I in the past. Two alpha males in the same space were bound to implode sooner or later.

_I won't be disrespectful Zelda, _I thought, _don't worry._

"That won't be necessary sire," I replied audaciously to the king, "I already have a place, and a seamstress I'm going to go to. I'll have my clothes made there. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to get going."

I let Zelda's hand go and bowed. Neither one of them were expecting me to make a quick departure. I turned and headed for the garden exit.

_The sooner I leave, the better, _I thought, _this is going nowhere fast._

"Hold it right there," Daphnes commanded me.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

_Here we go, _I thought.

I stopped in my tracks and turned back around. I bowed again, trying not to be insolent.

"Yes sire?" I inquired.

The king eyed me several moments before answering.

"Is there something wrong Link?" Daphnes asked me, already knowing that answer.

I was going to be civil and not goad this situation.

"Not at all your majesty," I replied with immediacy.

Daphnes nodded, not trusting me entirely. That was the biggest problem between him and I, trust. Neither one of us was willing to give it.

_It's never been a royal family attribute, has it? _I thought snidely.

There was a brief silence between all of us again.

"You would tell me, wouldn't you?" he asked me.

_No, _I thought.

"Of course," I lied.

Daphnes stared at me hard, sensing my sarcasm and then decided to add this, "I understand that you want to do things _your_ way," he stated, "just remember not to forget _your_ place."

I couldn't help but narrow my eyes slightly and look at him with open annoyance.

_My place? _I thought a little upset. _I put my life on the line for your sovereignty, and you want to talk about knowing my place?_

I let that slide, knowing that if I didn't it could potentially escalate the situation, and I didn't want to do that to Zelda. Instead, I smirked, so as not to chuckle and have my head cut off.

"Yes, your majesty," I verbalized, then quickly turned to grab my cloak and head out the garden.

"Link…" I heard Zelda say as I left, but I didn't stop.

Daphnes grunted and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"He'll be back," I heard the king reply to his daughter softly.

_Yeah, I'll be back alright, _I thought with irritation, _the question is: should I come back?_

I quickened my step and left the castle via Castle Town. Once I was past the draw bridge, I pulled out my fairy ocarina and played Epona's song. It was a melody I learned as a child from a dear friend of mine named Malon.

_I wonder how she's doing? _I wondered, looking over at Lon Lon Ranch in the distance. _I need to make it a point to call on her and see how she's doing._

Soon, a beautiful mahogany and white mare came trotting towards me. I patted her robust snout before I mounted her and had her gallop towards Kakariko Village. Kakariko Village was a small mountain town located at the cusp of Death Mountain. I often wondered why the Sheikah founded a village by such a dangerous place, but often regressed to the idea of it being related to some historical espionage.

_Perhaps they needed to bury more of the royal family's secrets, _I thought with cynicism regarding the monarchy, _there are tombs that make witness to that in the graveyard._

Some of the thoughts scouring through my mind I knew were of a result of my being upset at Daphnes. Even still, there was no denying the shoddy history of the Nohansen bloodline. I didn't know all the secrets myself, but I knew there were plenty. It was a family known for their bloody history, and it was _that _family I was eventually going to marry into. It suddenly made me think about what was expected of me, and what I wanted for myself.

_I don't know if Daphnes wants a future king, or just a husband for his daughter,_ I thought upset, _whatever the case, it doesn't matter now anyway. I've already asked Zelda to marry me._

I rode across the large expanse of Hyrule field littered with sparse elm trees, and eventually got to Kakiriko Village impasse. I dismounted, leaving Epona behind, and hurried up the steps. It was early afternoon when I arrived, and the villagers were bustling about the town carrying out their day to day activities. I immediately spotted Cujo, a bald eccentric, sitting under the central tree of the village complaining about how much he hated everyone.

I shook my head at the sight of him and grinned.

_Poor guy, _I thought.

I should have avoided him, however, I decided to approach him anyway. I figured if anyone knew about this new seamstress it was Cujo. There wasn't a person who could come in or out of this town without his notice. He was perceptive like that.

"Afternoon Cujo," I said in a friendly manner as I approached, "how are you?"

Cujo's large eyes immediately narrowed when he caught sight of me. I didn't know why, but I knew he couldn't stand me.

_Maybe it's because of what I did to his chicken years ago, _I thought with a grin.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

_Well, so much for the friendly banter, _I thought, seeing I was going to have to go with a different approach.

"I hear you have some new neighbors," I said, getting to the point, "I'm looking for the new bazaar owner and a seamstress."

Cujo took in a long winded sigh. It was only a moment later when I realized he wasn't going to answer my question.

"I really hate you Link," he replied all of a sudden, shaking his head.

I paused for a moment and looked at him odd.

_Well... _I thought, _that really isn't news._

"You… hate me?" I inquired, not really understanding why I was questioning him.

Cujo raised his eyebrows and gave me an obvious stare.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "Why are you asking me this?"

_I honestly don't know, _I thought, raising my hands up in a friendly surrender.

"Uh… okay, sorry," I said, trying to think of another approach, "how about-"

"They're in the northwest store!" Cujo screamed at me suddenly.

I was a little startled by his outburst, but not necessarily surprised, this was Cujo after all. I did however, shut my mouth and step cautiously away from him.

_No sense adding fuel to the fire Link, _I thought, _no sense at all._

"Uh… thanks," I replied.

Then he added in an odd fashion. "If you ask the girl to marry you I'll have you throttled!" Cujo threatened, "You hear me! Throttled!"

I merely shook my head as I walked away.

_That poor guy is getting worse, _I thought of Cujo's mental state, _hopefully he won't have another stent in Hyrule asylum._

I continued following the road leading to a stairway near the entrance to Death Mountain. Along the way, many of the town's people inquired of my wellbeing and state of health. I answered their questions and then hurried along to my destination. I stopped short of the last shop on the incline when I read the sign: Bazaar and Tailor Shop.

_That's practical and straight forward, _I thought before going in.

I opened the door and was greeted by a kind looking older gentleman. He wore large, horn rimmed glasses, and simple peasant clothes. His salt and pepper hair was slicked back, and he had an affable disposition. He looked like the grandfather every child wanted to have.

_He seems agreeable enough, _I thought.

"Hello there young man," he greeted, "what can I do for you?"

I looked around and saw weaponry everywhere, but saw no sign of tailoring.

_Am I in the right place? _I thought.

"Do you make clothes here?" I asked.

The older man nodded.

"Yes, of course," he replied, "of course we do."

He gestured for me to sit over at a granite counter where several stools were stationary. I sat down on one of the seats and looked around, still trying to find some evidence I had the right place.

_There's no sewing implements anywhere, _I thought.

"Just one moment," he said to me, "the young lady who handles fabric wears will be with you shortly."

I nodded at him in recognition, and pulled my gauntlets off. I unhooded myself and massaged my wrists, those gauntlets often left my arms sore.

"Thank you," I replied, "there's no rush."

The older man then headed to the back and called for her. "You've got a customer!"

"Really?" the woman called back. "I'll be right there!"

I sighed and looked around once more, thinking perhaps I was wrong.

_Maybe I should have let Daph- _I thought.

"Good afternoon sir," a female voice welcomed me, interrupting my thought process.

I turned at the sound of her voice, and inadvertently my eyes widened at the sight of her. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen… ever. That's saying a lot. I was temporarily dumbfounded because she wasn't what I was expecting.

_The bazaar owner in Castle Town wasn't kidding, _I thought, _I thought when he said she was pretty, he was just saying it as a simple lip service. I had no idea she could encompass the beauty of Farore herself._

Her eyes were crystal blue, catlike, and deep set. Her slender nose panned down to a mouth that was heart shaped, red like a Goron's ruby, and pouty. She had shiny, thick, long, emerald green hair that flowed down her back and she kept swept off her face with a band. Her figure was slender yet curvaceous, and absolutely beautiful.

_My goddess, _I thought, having to shake my head to return to reality.

She smiled at me and chuckled, probably used to reactions like mine by now. However, it wasn't her beauty that had me so captivated. It was something in the manner of her air and natural disposition. There was a familiarity about her that was hauntingly conversant of the forest and the woodlands. She looked like she understood that kind of atmosphere well.

I paused as I stared at her face, and then an impossible thought crossed my mind.

_It can't be! _I thought, feeling my stomach turn in disbelief. _She isn't!_

"S-Saria?" I stuttered in incredulity anyway.

The woman took several steps back from the counter after she heard me utter that. She stared back at me shocked and slightly confused.

"I'm sorry?" she inquired, not sure she heard me right.

I swallowed hard and leaned in on the counter a little more. I couldn't take my eyes away from her green hair.

"Is your name Saria?" I asked again.

A troubled look crossed the woman's face just then.

"Who are you?" she demanded of me, her voice trembled slightly from fear. "How do you know my name?"

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. The next chapter will be up Saturday.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Inspiration: Forensic science, and detective instinct.**

**New Shout Outs: PrincessZelda450, AnonReviewer3.0, LightningLydia, and RageInStages**

**Original Author Note: Thanks for reading; ADDENDUM 12/29/2012- I'm including Saria's POV in this chapter. Thanks for reading. ~ZR~.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

I sat there with my mouth agape after she answered me.

"Saria is that really you?" I asked, not being able to believe it.

_Why is she a Hylian? _I thought. _Why isn't she a Kokiri?_

Saria stayed back from the counter and didn't answer. I knew my reaction startled her. It would have startled anyone. I leaned forward a little more, staring desperately into her eyes.

_Say something reassuring to her, _I told myself.

"It's me," I said to her, thinking that would cue her, "it's Link!"

_That probably wasn't the reassurance to give Link, _I scolded myself.

She swallowed hard, and her catlike eyes widened slightly. She was looking at me a little disturbed.

"Are-are you drunk sir?" she asked, detracting the subject.

"No," I insisted shaking my head, then added, "don't you know me?"

Saria stared at me for a long moment before answering. Her inquisitive blue eyes searched my face. She looked like she was honestly trying to see if my face fit anyone's in her memory bank.

_I probably put her so ill at ease just now, _I thought with a slight pang of regret at my presumptuousness.

"I… I'm sorry sir," she said to me nervous, "but I don't know any Link."

There was a brief silence between us after she said that. I looked at her confused for a moment, but then my confusion turned to veracity, and I realized how ridiculous I sounded. She had no idea what I was talking about. How could she know? It was impossible.

_Saria's a Kokiri Link, _I told myself, _a Kokiri who lives in the Sacred Realm. This poor girl probably thinks you're crazy._

I brought myself back from leaning so far on the counter, and sat down on the stool. The uncomfortable silence stretched from a moment to minutes, and was only made worse by my feelings of embarrassment. I looked away from her and sighed.

_Say something to her, _I told myself, _don't leave the situation as it is._

"I… I um… I'm sorry," I said finally, "I didn't mean to alarm you. It was a case of mistaken identity."

Saria bit her lower lip, and hesitated for a moment. She didn't answer right away, and watched me with a slight unease.

"Are you okay?" she asked me quietly. "You seemed really worked up just then."

I took in a deep breath and turned back to look at her.

"It's nothing, I'm sorry, I just thought…" I trailed, trying to find the right words, "I just thought you were someone I once knew."

Saria took in a deep relieved breath herself just then, and warmed her pretty face with a smile.

"It's okay," she said to me, "it happens."

I sighed again wishing for the unimaginable, and forced a grin across my face.

_Saria's gone Link, get a grip man, _I thought, _you're going to end up bunking in Hyrule asylum with Cujo._

There was another short silence, until Saria finally broke it.

"So… how can I help you?" she asked me politely.

I rubbed my hands together awkwardly, still discomfited at how I acted.

"Uh…" I trailed, having to remember why I was there, "I need to have some clothes made."

Her blue eyes vivified with elation.

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place," Saria smiled wider, showing perfect white teeth, "what's the occasion?"

"I…" I trailed again, it was purely unintentional, "I'm getting married."

Saria's face brightened.

"That's wonderful, congratulations!" she said enthusiastic. "And you're in luck, I specialize in wedding attire!"

I wanted to match her enthusiasm, but my pride was making that an issue. I was the first knight of Hyrule now. My reputation hinged on the seriousness of how I took my position. In the past, I didn't care what the people thought of me. My service back then as just the hero was not a direct reflection of the royal family. There was no added pressure. However, since my knighthood, I no longer had that option. My actions were no longer just a reflection of me, they were a reflection of the royal family as well. _And _since I was going to marry into that family, I needed to show the citizens that I took the position seriously.

I paused for a moment when I pondered over that.

_When did I start taking_ myself_ so seriously? _I wondered all of a sudden.

"Lucky me," I replied, trying to regain what little dignity I had left.

Saria grinned at my tone, and surprisingly reached over and touched my shoulder.

"Come on," she nudged in a playful manner, "get over it big guy. It was an honest mistake."

I raised my eyebrows at her returned friendly nature. I was still reeling from how foolish I sounded a moment ago, and she was already willing to forget it.

_That's the sign of a consummate professional, _I thought.

"So…" she started, coming from around the counter to get a general look at me, "when's the wedding?"

I didn't answer immediately. I was too busy giving her a once over as she made her way over to me. She was roughly five feet seven inches tall, with a slender athletic build, and a more than robust bust line. I looked away so she wouldn't catch me staring at her bosom. Taking vital statistics was a skill I acquired through my journeys. Memorizing and guessing people's height and build was second nature to me now. It was a survival tactic I found very useful and kept sharp, even in this time of peace. I panned my vision back to her incredible green hair, wondering where she could have possibly inherited it.

_It's most unusual, _I thought.

I knew all the families in the surrounding regions of Hyrule, and no one had hair that color. No one. I knew this woman had to a foreigner, but from what area was what was boggling me.

_I've never known anyone outside of the Kokiri Saria to have that kind of hair, _I thought, and glanced at her pretty face once more.

For some odd reason she put her hands on her hips and snickered at me. I found it odd.

_Why is she laughing? _I wondered.

"What?" I asked her.

She smiled.

"Do you know you grimace when you think?" she divulged.

I raised my eyebrows, caught unawares slightly that she was studying me.

_She's more astute than I gave her credit for, _I thought.

"Excuse me?" I inquired.

Saria's smile widened.

"You grimace," she repeated, "and you were thinking weren't you?" she asked, then added. "Or were you just awestruck at my amazing dress design and decided to give me the job?"

I glanced at the tailored bow neck line, triple tiered dress. I knew those clothes were native to the women of Gerudo Valley, but with Saria's Hylian features and obvious different hair color, I knew she wasn't originally from there.

_It wasn't your dress I was looking at, _I thought, and quickly reneged, _don't become inappropriate with someone you don't know,_ I thought, checking myself, but then looked into her lovely blue eyes once more,_ but I would like to know more about her._

I smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"A little bit of both," I replied.

"Well," she started, "you should take into consideration your facial expression while you do that. You look like the most un-fun man in the world."

I pursed my lips together.

_Un-fun? _I wondered. _Is that even a word?_

"Do I?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied, "and it's a shame, because you have such a handsome face."

The compliment caught me by surprise. She certainly had no qualms regarding her disposition.

"Uh…" I trailed, not sure how to answer.

She grinned.

"That was supposed to be an ice breaker," she said and went on, "let me try this then," she said and cleared her throat, but then paused and added, "do you like jokes?"

Her quick speech and unorthodox charm left me off guard. So much so, it made me smile again.

"Um, yes I do like jokes," I replied.

Saria cleared her throat again.

"Great, because I think you're going to love this one," she started, "this will be a true ice breaker okay," she stood erect just then, "are you ready?"

_No one's ever done this with me before, _I thought, _this is definitely an unusual business transaction._

I sat up on the stool and nodded.

"I'm ready," I replied.

Saria grinned and put her hands on her hips.

"Why do tekkites eat raw meat?" she asked.

I gave her an oddball stare.

_I wasn't aware tekkites ate raw meat, _I thought, _well, I guess they do, but I never stuck around long enough to see what they did with the carcasses._

"…I have no idea," I replied.

A big smile spread across her face just then.

"Because they can't cook!" she exclaimed, then immediately broke into laughter.

My odd expression never wavered. I must have missed the punch line, because I didn't know what the actually _joke _was. I glanced over at the older gentleman who was shaking his head.

"I told her it was a terrible joke," he said to me sympathetically.

I looked back at Saria who was still laughing, until she finally got a hold of herself.

"You don't get it?" she accused.

I raised my hands in surrender.

"Should I?" I asked.

Saria huffed and put her hands on her hips again.

"It's not semantics," she stated, "it's practicality. Tekkites can't cook because they lack the physical ability within their natural internal structure, thus the pun of the joke."

I gave her an incredulous look.

_That's the premise? _I thought in disbelief.

"Saria honey, that's a stupid premise," the elderly man chimed in, "if you have to explain a joke, then you don't have a joke."

I looked away and chuckled. He took the words right out of my mouth.

_I completely agree, _I thought.

Saria looked over at the older man indignant.

"Gramps, whose side are you on?" she demanded.

"After that my dear," he said, going over his account books, "I'm on the lad's."

I grinned at what the old man said. However, it was also then that I picked up on a subtle accent foreign to the region of Hyrule from him. It was definitely a western accent, but the enunciates were slightly different.

_I wonder where he's originally from, _I thought, _the country is expanding, so maybe he traveled from one of the new provinces._

Saria shrugged, seeing she was the minority in this, and begrudgingly regressed to our reasoning.

"Fine," she said, catching a little glint from his accent as well, "both of ye can be stick in the muds if ya want to. I give up trying to cheer ye up."

_They must have traveled in from the same area, _I thought, _they sound similar._

The inflection in her tone made me chuckle. There was something about her personality that was bright and refreshing.

_She doesn't seem to have a problem taking herself too serious, _I thought, _she must be the life of the party on a night on the town._

Saria grinned at me, and shook her head with daft sarcasm at my laughter.

"So, now you're laughing?" she said mordant, conforming her accent to the standard Hylian once more. "I can help you now? The grimace is gone?"

I chuckled again, seeing her point and nodded.

"It's gone madam," I replied.

_If Saria were a Hylian, I think she would look just like this woman, _I thought, but then shook my head, _leave that alone Link._

Saria took note of my action with another smirk.

"Something else bothering you?" she asked.

I smiled at her concern.

"No," I replied.

"Great, so let's try this again," she replied, "we'll start the consultation over. How may I help you this afternoon?"

I shook my head, but went along with it.

"I need some clothes made," I said in tune with the role play.

"Wonderful," she went on, "what's the occasion?"

"I'm getting married," I replied.

"Congratulations," she continued, as if that were her first time saying that, "when are you getting married?"

That was when I paused and scratched my chin at the inquiry.

_That's a good question, _I thought.

"You know what," I said nonchalant with a shrug, thinking my next comment was completely normal, "I honestly don't know."

For some odd reason, Saria started chuckling at that.

"You are such a typical man aren't you?" she joked.

I gave a weak smile.

_She probably thinks I'm a jerk, _I thought.

"That I am," I replied.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes playfully.

"Do you have a date set at least?" Saria inquired further.

I sat back, remembering that Zelda and I spoke about that earlier in the day.

_Women must be in tandem on this, _I thought humorous, _but no, we don't have a date yet._

Zelda and I didn't have much of anything figured out for the wedding. We were still in the beginning stages after all.

"No," I said finally, "I just asked her two days ago."

Saria looked at me puzzled just then.

"…And you're already getting clothes made?" she asked. "Don't you think you should have a date set first?"

Now that I thought about it, she did have a point.

_I guess maybe this is premature, _I thought.

"We're kind of new at this," I joked.

Saria covered her mouth and chuckled softly again. She then put her hand to her cheek and sighed.

"Men," she said, shaking her head once more.

I lifted my eyebrows and shrugged.

"I agree," I replied.

That garnered another laugh from her, and I couldn't help but admire how strikingly beautiful she was.

_She really is a vision, isn't she? _I thought, not being able to help myself.

She stroked a lock of hair from out of her eyes, but before she moved the strand, she stared at it for a moment. My eyes widened slightly at her doing that, and a flash of a memory came to my mind. Saria the Kokiri used to do that same nuance when she touched her hair.

_Wait a minute,_ I thought all of a sudden.

"Who…?" I trailed, not knowing if I should ask or not. I didn't want a repeat of earlier.

Saria raised her eyebrows with expectance at my question.

"Who what?" Saria continued.

I hesitated, not knowing if I should continue.

_Let it go Link, _I told myself for what seemed like the one hundredth time.

"Who... uh," I was trying to think fast, "who told you about this vacancy in Kakariko?" I asked finding a weak segue.

Saria narrowed her eyes slightly, and gave me an odd expression. She obviously knew that wasn't my initial question.

"You want to know who told me about this shop?" she repeated incredulous.

"Yeah," I said forcing a smile.

Saria raised an eyebrow and shook her head just then.

"You've really got the pre-wedding jitters don't you?" she asked me.

I looked at her surprised and realized she was giving me a flawless way out.

_Yes, that's the perfect excuse, _I thought, _I didn't even have to think of a scapegoat._

I sighed in a bit of relief.

"Actually, I do," I replied honest, "and her father is the scariest part."

Saria looked at me with empathy and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Aren't all in-laws scary when you first meet them?" she replied sensibly.

_It's different when you've known the man for eight years and he still scares you, _I thought humorous,_ it's amplified more when he's the king._

"One thing I always tell my male customers is this: think back to what made you fall in love with your girl in the first place," Saria went on, "after that, they're usually fine."

I nodded, going along with what she was saying, finding it sensible and practical.

_She's probably given that advice a hundred times over, _I thought.

"I suppose," I replied.

She smiled.

"Just give it some time," she said, "you'll see you've made the right choice."

I nodded again sagaciously at her reasoning.

"I'll go with your tailoring instinct and trust that you're right," I replied.

"Of course I'm right," Saria said to me.

Her reply got a smile out of me, and that seemed to satisfy her.

"Now that we've taken care of the psychological aspect of the fitting, let's see if we can get you tailored properly," Saria said. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

I shrugged.

"Well…" I said with a sigh, "I'm not exactly sure."

Saria looked unfazed by my reply.

"Okay," she replied, "what is your wedding theme?"

I raised my eyebrows at that.

_Theme? _I thought. _Don't people generally say 'I do' and be done with it at these events?_

"'Love' I suppose," I replied, saying the first thing that came to mind.

Saria looked at me with another crank expression.

"You don't know the theme of _your own_ wedding?" she asked me in disbelief. "You really are new at this."

"Well..." I trailed, not having much of a reply.

"How about your color palate?" Saria asked, trying another approach. "What is the primary color?"

"White," I said quickly, "a whole lot of white."

I must have said it with a dry undertone, because my comment precipitated another laugh from her.

"You must not like white very much," Saria replied.

I shrugged again.

"It's kind of bland and traditional," I said, not caring one way or another, "but if it makes her happy, I'm all for it."

Saria nodded with approval.

"Smart man," she said to me.

All I knew was that was what Zelda wanted, and what the bride wanted, the bride got.

_I will not argue with a woman about her wedding day, _I thought, _it's just best to just let her have what she wants._

"See," I said to Saria, flashing her a charismatic smile, "I'm not so bad at this."

She nodded.

"You're getting there," she replied smiling back.

"Yeah," I said, and stared a little too long in her pretty eyes.

_Am I flirting with this woman about my soon to be wife? _I thought incredulous. _Zelda would kill me if she saw how I was acting right now._

Saria clapped her hands together and looked at me excited just then.

"You must have a divine providence over you, because I have just the thing for you," she went on, changing the subject.

I found that saying humorous.

"Divine providence huh?" I asked. "What did you have in mind?"

Saria bit her lower lip with enthusiasm.

"Wait here, I'll go get it," she said.

Saria then went back around the counter and disappeared into the back room. A moment later, she returned with this beautiful white metallic fabric. I looked surprised that such a humble place had such an expensive looking wear.

"Oh wow," I heard myself say inadvertently.

"You like it?" Saria asked.

"It's amazing," I said, taking hold of the fabric to get a good feel, "what is this made from."

"Crushed goddess plumes and Eldin ore," she replied, "it's been hand pressed into the satin to give it its unique look."

Saria fanned the material out so I could have a better look. When she said Eldin, it made me pause and look at her for a moment. Eldin Province was a reacquired land that expanded the boundaries of Hyrule. It was once part of the kingdom explicitly, but years ago during the Great War, it was taken over by enemies of the state. After negotiations and reparations recently, the province was repatriated to Hyrule.

"Is that where you're from?" I asked, trying to be furtive as she stepped towards me and pressed the fabric onto my shoulder. "Eldin?"

Saria shook her head no, and didn't answer any further.

"I hear that province is really opening up since the building of the new bridge," I went on.

Saria merely glanced up at me and smirked.

_Nothing,_ I thought, _I'm getting nothing._

"I think this could really work," she said absently, as if talking to herself, "but I think I'll just put this in your cloak; too much sequin can be a bad thing."

I had to give her credit, she was definitely perceptive. She knew I wanted to know more about her.

_Let it go Link, _I told myself yet again, _it's not your place._

"Do you think your bride would like this?" Saria asked, directing the subject back to me.

I looked at the fabric, and then back to her.

"What do you think?" I asked. "You're a woman, you know what your sex likes better than I do."

For some odd reason, that made Saria blush. Her reaction caught me by surprise, because I wasn't intending anything from it. However, I had to admit, the color made her look even more beautiful.

_Okay, I better lay off this, _I perceived, _I must be making her uneasy. She's just trying to do her job._

There was a brief silence between us.

"I… I think she'd like it," she replied finally, now avoiding my eyes, "I certainly would."

I knew I made her uncomfortable just then.

"Then... I think the decision is made," I replied, trying to lighten the mood.

Saria nodded and hurried, it seemed, to go back around the counter to put the fabric away. I turned around on the stool, and watched her carefully. Her actions seemed more guarded now. She didn't seem as carefree as our previous conversation allotted.

_Great, _I thought, wanting to avoid that.

The awkward blarney between us increased when neither one of us said anything for several minutes. It was only made worse with the elderly gentleman staring at the both of us in the background.

_Let me diffuse this situation before it gets worse, _I thought.

"Um…" I trailed, looking down at my hands, "I think I should apologize to you."

Saria looked up at me surprised when she heard that.

"What?" she asked.

I took in a deep breath.

"I want to apologize for the whole mistaken identity thing," I said, "I probably made you very uncomfortable."

Her eyes widened, but I saw the small bit of relief thereafter she heard me say that.

"It's okay," she said to me, "there are worse things that could happen."

I nodded.

"True," I said in agreement.

We were silent again, until Saria finally broke it.

"Well… I'm going to have to ask you to come back in a couple of days," she said all of a sudden, "all of my supplies are still packed away and it will take me half a day to get them out. I'll have to fit you then."

That was reasonable enough.

"Alright," I replied, finding it no problem, and was secretly happy I had a reason to come back so soon, "thank you for your time Mrs…"

She fanned off my titling her with a gesture of her hand.

"You can just call me Saria," she replied, "I'm not married."

I nodded at her reply.

"Right," I said, "well… thank you Ms. Saria, I'll see you later this week."

"Okay," she said with a smile, "have a good day."

"You as well," I replied, and got up from the stool to make my exit.

And that was my first acquaintance with the girl with the green hair.

~SSS~

Saria's POV

When the handsome gentleman left, I turned my attention to gramps in inquiry.

"Do you have any idea who that man is?" I asked him.

He shook his head, but then gave me an obvious stare.

"I don't know who he is," he replied, "but I do remember him saying something about him getting _married_."

I shot gramps a dirty look, slightly offended that he felt he needed to remind me of that.

"I'm well aware of that," I replied, "I just wanted to know who he was. He was bent on believing he knew me."

Gramps chuckled when I said that and continued with his accounting.

"If I was a young man and saw a woman as beautiful as you," he started, "I'd pretend I knew you too."

I put my hands on my hips when he said that.

"Come on gramps, be serious," I replied, "he wasn't just saying that to say that. I think he really thought he knew me. He said my name before I even introduced myself. Who does that? Maybe he did know me, the problem is, I have no idea who he is."

Gramps raised his eyebrows and smirked at me.

"Saria my dear, let me tell you something," he started, "you don't have as much experience as I in life, and you don't know all the whiles of impervious young men. However, I'm telling you that young man thought he knew you because he was attracted to you."

I took in a deep frustrated breath after hearing that. I knew gramps was trying to protect me, but sometimes I felt he was a little _too_ over protective. I didn't know anyone in Hyrule, and I wanted to make as many friends as I possibly could. I had no intentions other than innocent ones about the stranger who just left. It was already hard for me to get acquainted with new people because of their natural distrusting disposition, and the inhabitants in Kakariko were obliging, but standoffish at best. That young man named Link was the first person to actively engage me on something other than business. I will admit he did make nervous with the way he was staring at me at first. However, there was a kindness about him that was apparent beneath all his seriousness… and he did seem very serious.

_I wonder why, _I thought.

I knew he was stationed as an officer, or some form of public service from the way he was dressed. He was carrying a sword, he wore gauntlets, but he kept the rest of his attire shrouded underneath his cloak. He also had a very subtle scar on his left hand.

_Maybe he's in the military, _I thought.

Even while sitting, he looked like he was about six feet two inches tall, weighed possibly about two hundred and ten pounds of lean muscle, and had the most striking blue eyes I had ever seen. I wasn't going to lie, he was extremely handsome.

_His bride is very fortunate, whoever she is, _I thought with a grin.

I sighed at my thoughts and let them come to fruition.

"Well, in any such case," I started after my introspection, "you needn't worry. He's just a customer, and once I'm done with his wears, I won't ever see him again."

Gramps raised an eyebrow at me saying that, and shook his head.

"We'll see, Saria my dear," he said, "we'll see."

I ignored the sarcasm in his voice as it was starting to irritate me.

_You can't assume everyone's actions gramps, _I thought.

"I'm actually going to close up shop early today so I can get things organized, then retire to bed," I divulged, changing the subject.

Gramps gave me a look of inquiry.

"Why so early?" he asked.

I raised my eyebrows and bit my lower lip.

"I need to get up by dawn," I said, "I have some business to attend to in the morning."

Gramps narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I wasn't aware you had any engagements tomorrow," he stated.

_I know, _I thought, _I wanted to keep it that way. _

"It's nothing too strenuous," I said, "besides, it'll be good for me to get out on my own."

Gramps hesitated at me saying that, but then digressed to my reasoning.

"Well," he said, "you are an adult and I can't stop you, just be careful."

I smiled at him.

_He worries so much about me, _I thought, _it's actually very kind of him since we aren't related._

"I will," I said, and then headed to the back storage room.

I pulled a wicker basket from the top shelf that housed some traveling clothes. I only used these items for special occasions, and when I pulled out what I was looking for, I grinned.

"This is perfect," I whispered to myself, "tomorrow promises to be an interesting day."

~SSS~

Link's POV

The next day I woke up at dawn.

My residence was a villa at the heart of Castle Town. I stayed alone to warrant some privacy. The king initially wanted me to stay in the castle, but I wouldn't have it. It was bad enough I could hardly speak two words without having them industriously circulated throughout the region. It was another thing to live my life in a complete fish bowl. I knew that day would come soon enough.

_I look forward to it, _I thought with open sarcasm.

I dressed in my green tunic for the hunt, along with my leather gauntlets, and I commandeered my large quiver for extra arrows. Royal elk were tenacious, viable creatures that resembled forest deer. However, what made them different was the rare golden strip that ran down their backs. If they sensed they were in danger, they would run without hesitation. However, it was often to their disadvantage, because when they ran the strip left a golden iridescent trail on the wind making them easy to find. The irony was, what made them so rare, was what made them so easy find. Even still, they were not easy to kill.

_Never underestimate backed up prey, _I told myself.

I tested my bow to make sure my string was taut, but easy with its release. I'd been practicing with the bow for eight years now, I was easily the best marksman in the kingdom, but every marksman could have a bad day. I packed my hunting knife in my boot, and tied my cloak around my neck. I knew I had to be ready because Daphnes would be calling on me soon. I left my villa, and walked out to the drawbridge and called for Epona. I mounted her and looked upon the horizon and saw the first few evidences of sunrise. The light casted over the trees like a beacon from a lighthouse.

_It's a beautiful day, _I thought, with my breath evaporating against the dew frosted morning air, _beautiful like Hyrule is everyday._

A moment later, I heard the trot and billow of another Hylian mare. I turned to see Daphnes accompanied by a small royal guard. I raised my brows when I saw the size of the party.

_He wants to go hunting with a small platoon? _I wondered in disbelief.

"Good morning Sir Link," Daphnes said to me in a low respectful voice.

"Good morning sire," I replied, bowing my head.

Daphnes trotted up next to me and took in a deep breath, then looked preponderantly at the horizon.

"You smell that Link?" Daphnes asked me suddenly.

I looked over at him with expectancy and didn't reply, but gave him my attention.

"_That_ is the smell of destiny," Daphnes replied in his deep portentous voice.

I merely looked out at the skyline where he was looking.

_Destiny huh?_ I thought, wondering what he meant. _A hunt hardly seems like destiny._

"Today is the day you step from being merely a man to a king," Daphnes told me.

I remained silent, listening to his words soberly.

"Today is the day where I determine if Hyrule is in good hands or not," Daphnes said serious, then looked over at me, "will she be in good hands, son?"

I nodded seriously as my reply.

Daphnes smirked, signifying his approval of my answer.

"Then let's have at it!" the king said with sudden enthusiasm, then abruptly giddied his horse.

I grinned at him and quickly followed suit, as did the rest of his guard. We rode along for several miles, until we hit the outskirts of Hyrule field and entered the newly maneuvered territory of Faron woods.

Faron woods was a recent discovery.

Within the last few years, individuals of pretty significant importance traveled deep into the Lost Woods and disappeared. Many thought these officials died due to the curse said to happen there. The one that stated any Hylian would turn into a Stalfos if they got lost. It turned out, those same aristocrats reappeared again years later. Their explanation? There was a deeper, even more densely populated forest hidden away beyond the outskirts of the forest. With this news in tow, geologists and cartographers from all over Hyrule stumbled onto the place and had a field day with the discovery.

No one knew about it until recently.

Five years to be exact.

It was quite a mystery that such a forest existed and was only now being descended upon. Also too, within the new territory the royal elk made new homes to protect themselves from poachers. It was reported dozens were nesting there. King Daphnes made it a decree that it was considered treason to kill a royal elk. Most people thought it was a noble act to protect the endangered species. I couldn't help but think Daphnes wanted it as his own personal sport. The royal family did have a notorious bloody history for the love of the hunt.

_Keep a favorable eye Link, _I told myself, _stop being such a cynic._

The brigade surrounded Daphnes as we looped around a deceitful looking precipice. The cliff forked over to a chasm that reflected light upward, causing the surroundings to look like a mirror image of itself. If a rider were not careful, they would find themselves at the bottom of the gorge. I looked around to make sure everyone was riding steady.

_Having such a large party makes this more dangerous, _I thought, _all the added weight could cause the rocks underneath to give way._

I let my thoughts recede when we rode further into the forest. We eventually came across a cave that led to an alcove deep in the woods. Seeing that this was our destination, we all dismounted, ready to descend on the elks purported den. I went to the fore of the guard to take the lead in protecting the king, when suddenly the sound of another horse's hooves precluded the air.

_What's that? _I thought, and then quickly snapped my fingers.

The brigade quickly went to guard formation with the king in the back, and I readied my bow.

"Who would dare-?" Daphnes began to demand, but I put my finger to my lips to silence.

"Please sire," I whispered with respect, then turned back to the front.

_Who could possibly...?_ I wondered myself.

The horse's hooves galloped closer and closer, then abated. When the brigade and I saw the long blonde flowing hair, we all sighed a collective sigh of relief.

"Zelda!" I said surprised, putting my bow down to and went to greet her.

Zelda smiled and quickly dismounted when she saw me. She was dressed in hunting pants and leather boots, she also had her bow in hand. It seemed she was going to join the hunt whether her father liked it or not, and Daphnes was not pleased.

_This should be interesting, _I thought.

"Zelda what are you doing here?" Daphnes demanded.

Zelda didn't answer right away. She looked between her father and me.

"As the soon to be wife of the future king," she began, "I think it necessary that I take part in this hunt father."

Daphnes was not amused.

"I already told you you can't, go home immediately," Daphnes commanded, "this is no place for a woman, let alone a princess. I told you this is a rite for princes and kings only."

I grinned at his words finding them a little out of place.

_I guess Daphnes forgot about her Sheik stunt,_ I thought.

Zelda looked undeterred.

"Seeing that there are _no_ princes here, since you have no sons," she divulged curt in a fashion, "and Link isn't king yet, I think I have every right to be here father."

_I know she's trying to make a point, but ouch,_ I thought, _that was a little harsh. No princes? I'm not the king? I almost feel like she thinks she's doing me a favor._

There was a definite tension in the air, the brigade stood down and I merely watched, knowing this battle was going to end in Zelda's favor. She was the princess and daddy's little girl after all. Daphnes grunted under his breath upset.

"Zelda I'm not going to tell you again," Daphnes warned.

Zelda didn't budge.

"Neither am I father," she said keeping her tone respectful.

I saw the discomfiture in Daphnes' face.

As a man, he didn't want to appear weak in front of his subordinates.

"Zelda!" Daphnes said loud and imposing, trying to intimidate her.

Zelda merely stared back, but before she could reply and argue her case further, a royal elk galloped past her. It happened so quickly we nearly missed it.

"That rascal is fast," I whispered to myself.

I quickly armed my bow and ran after it, Zelda hastily followed, and the conversation with her father quickly dropped.

"Zelda!" Daphnes called after her, but she ignored him and kept her pursuit behind me.

The royal elk trotted evasively through the trees, and I paced myself to stay on its tail. Daphnes grunted his frustration, but then quickly gestured for his men to follow. The brigade stayed at a distance allowing the king to come forward and join Zelda and me. I stationed myself behind a tree when the royal elk stopped and drank water from a spring. I signaled for Zelda to go behind another tree and ready her bow. Daphnes positioned himself low behind a log. The royal elk was still quenching its thirst, when Zelda peered from behind the tree and drew back her bow string. Her form was perfect, and she let the arrow fly. The royal elk alerted itself to the danger and dodged the arrow.

"Damn!" I heard Zelda mutter to herself.

That was the thing with hunting these animals, they were never as vulnerable as they seemed. Even still, I looked over at her and blew her a kiss, signifying she did a good job. She fanned off my good deed by running closer to the spring to have another shot at the animal. She pulled back and released, her form wasn't as good as it once was and she missed again.

I smirked, sensing her frustration and went down to meet her.

"Try it like this," I said, taking her hand in mine and pulling her arm back, "keep both eyes open and zero in on the target."

Zelda listened to me silently, then released the bow. A moment later, a sharp whine fills the air. She was an excellent markswoman by nature, but from time to time she'd let her form suffer.

"Bingo," I whispered into her ear.

Zelda turned and smiled at me; she kissed my nose sweetly.

"Thank you my love," she said, "you've been most instructive."

Zelda then turned her attention to her father.

"How about that father?" she taunted. "Not bad for not being a prince."

Daphnes initially didn't look pleased, but when he saw how well Zelda had done on her third shot he softened a little.

"Technically, you had help," he said, "I consider that Link's kill."

Zelda scoffed with indignanation.

"We'll see," she replied, she then turned to me, "no helping me this time, the next one is mine."

I smiled at her.

"Fair enough," I said.

We doubled back, and headed to the cave we were initially at. We headed in with the brigade behind us. The clearing led to a densely tree canopied woodland. A strange mist permeated the area. I'd never seen the mist in here before.

_This is odd, _I thought, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand suddenly, _why do I feel a strange sense of danger?_

I chose to ignore it, and signaled for Zelda to cover the eastern perimeter while I focused on the western perimeter. Daphnes, being the presumptuous man he was, headed down the center into the mist.

I sighed at the sight of him doing that.

_Not the best idea,_ I thought of the king's action, _we have no idea what this mist can doi._

The guards broke off into sets. A group followed the king and another followed the princess. I sidled along an edge and spotted a royal elk eating some grass. It must have heard me approach, because its ears perked. Its head rose and I signaled for Zelda to take the shot. She pulled back her bow, ready to release, when suddenly a sharp whistle zipped through the air. It took me a moment to realize it was an arrow from another bow.

_What the...?_ I thought, lowering myself back behind the tree for cover.

I glanced up to see what direction it had come from. I then looked over at Zelda and realized the arrow was intended for her. I quickly abandoned my post and ran over to her. The guards were already protecting her, but I arrived in time to push her down to the ground to avoid another arrow.

"Look out!" I called as we fell to the ground.

Zelda eyes widened a little bit of fear, she stared into mine nervously.

"What was that?" she whispered in a shaky voice.

I shook my head and stayed low, not having an answer for her. I looked toward the direction it came from again. It was silent and dark, I tried to still my breath to listen with more clarity. Another terrifying whip buzzed through the air. This time it landed in one of the shoulders of the guards.

"Ah!" the poor man cried out.

That was enough for me to see. Whoever was out there was intent on killing the princess.

"Get the princess out of here now!" I ordered. "Take her back to castle along with the king."

I turned around to find king Daphnes whereabouts. He was heavily covered by his guards and heading for the cave exit. Another arrow whipped through the air, it missed my ear by a millimeter. I quickly hid behind a tree again and readied an arrow in my bow.

"Link what about you?" Zelda asked me worried, as the guards whisked her toward the exit.

"I'll be fine," I replied and turned to take a shot, "I'll cover you as you escape. Now go!"

Zelda apparently didn't believe me.

"I'm not leaving without you!" she called to me determined, but was already being pushed back towards the cave.

I knew she was worried about me, but I couldn't have her and Daphnes there, _and_ try to protect them both. It was too much of a distraction. I really didn't even want to talk, as it was giving my position away.

_Just go Zelda, _I thought.

"I'll see you later at the castle!" I called back to her. "Just hurry and get out of here!"

Zelda bit her lower lip anxiously.

"I better see you again Link!" she called over to me still being forced towards the exit.

I set another bow and fired another shot.

"You will!" I called back, shooting another arrow into the darkness.

"I love you!" she called to me one last time before being forced back into the cave.

I set another bow as silence descended upon the area.

"I know," I whispered to myself.

I set myself behind the tree and waited for the archer to strike again. With everyone gone, I would be able to hear the individual's footsteps more clearly.

_It's just you and me now you bastard, _I thought.

Instead of an immediate zip, I heard the popping and cracking of twigs and foliage.

_So, now you're on the move,_ I thought, silently maneuvering from the ground to climb the tree I was hiding behind.

I had a much better view of the typography from the above landing, but I also knew I was a sitting tekkite up there if my cover was blown. I dug into my satchel and put on a set of eagle eye goggles I made for sniper sight. I adjusted the setting and looked around. I saw a hooded individual with a projectile crossbow in hand. They were moving toward the western perimeter where I once was.

_How the hell did they get over there so fast? _I wondered.

I readied a bow, and pulled the string back for full recoil. I waited until the individual was stationary, then took my shot. I missed the head by an inch, but I was able to knock of the hood. The assassin was wearing a cowl and headdress to conceal their identity. The assassin quickly moved behind a tree.

"Damn," I muttered to myself, having to quickly get down from the tree and find another vantage point, "I had them with that too."

I dropped low to the ground and crawled in the center of the area underneath the mist. It was the best choice, it left me with an element of surprise.

_I shouldn't have been so quick to chastise Daphnes, _I thought, _the cover here is exceptional._

I saw the assassin point the crossbow to the other side where I once was and fire. I paused, waiting to continue right when the shot was fired. I began to sweat a little from nervousness, and that wasn't like me.

_Whoever this is, they're no amateur._ I thought.

The assassin moved after the shot. They tried to darting for the cave Zelda and the king just escaped too; that was when I made my move. I quickly got up and sprinted after him. I tackled him down to the ground, and we both hit it hard with a resounding thud.

"Ah!" the assassin cried out.

I immediately pulled out my dagger from my boot and stationed it at his clothed neck.

"Who are you?" I demanded. "Why the hell are you trying to kill the royal family?"

The assassin didn't answer me, and to my surprise he wrapped his free legs around my neck and maneuvered himself from my hold. He was quite limber to pull that off. He then got up, and took off running into the mist.

I was shocked. It wasn't like me to lose my captors.

_Oh no you don't! _I thought, getting up and running after them.

The assassin was fast and nimble, but I was gaining on him. He stopped abruptly, turned, and tried to slice at me with a dagger, I side stepped and immediately countered with a strike of my own. The assassin back flipped twice away from my attack, and decided running was the better option for him. He ran deeper into the forest, jumping over thickets and swinging on vines.

_Who is this acrobat? _I thought, with a certain amount of misconstrued admiration. _Their skills are exemplary._

However, I could tell he was tiring, and on his landing I heard a crack. I knew then he injured himself. I pulled out my bow, ready to end this senseless fight. I pulled back my string, setting my arrow, then released it. The arrow was bullseyed for the head, but it suddenly stopped in its mid-range pursuit, when an invisible barrier halted it.

_What the...? _I thought surprised.

The assassin was still running. He finally reached an incline that ended with a locked gate, but instead of unlocking it, he jumped over it.

_It looks like they weren't that injured, _I thought.

I quickened my pace to catch up, but nearly got a concussion when I hit the invisible barrier face first in front of me. The shock of the pain pulse through my forehead and made me fall onto the ground behind first.

"Ahhh!" I grunted, checking my face, and felt warm, sticky blood flow from my nose.

I tried to shake off my sudden onset of dizziness, and looked to where my pursuant had gone. To my surprise, he had stopped behind the locked gate. He was staring at me. My dizziness instantly went away when I replaced it with anger.

_How the hell did this individual get away from me? _I thought. _Who the hell is he, and how does he know this forest so well?_

I wasn't going to find out now, but I wouldn't stop until I did.

_This is far from over, _I thought.

The killer narrowed his eyes at me from the distance.

"You tell your king the encroachment has begun," the assassin said to me in a whispery voice. "He knows what I speak of. Ask him about the Interlopers he drove away from this land."

With that, the assassin turned and ran away behind the gate.

I stood up frustrated, banging on the invisible barrier, wanting to get through.

_Damn it!_ I thought upset.

"Interlopers?" I inquired out loud to myself. "Who in the world are the Interlopers?"

~SSS~

I returned to Hyrule Castle by noon and was greeted by a worried Zelda in the counsel room.

She came up to me and hugged me immediately.

"Thank the goddess you're alright," she said to me in a trembling voice, "I was so scared for you Link, I thought you weren't going to return."

I held her tight to reassure her.

"I'm okay," I said softly to her, and stroked her hair, "I told you I was going to come back."

Zelda closed her eyes and rested her head on my chest.

"I'm so glad," she whispered.

_She was really terrified she was going to lose me, _I thought.

A moment later, Daphnes then entered the room. He looked at me with knowing concern.

"Are you alright Link?" he asked me.

I merely nodded still holding Zelda.

Daphnes sighed with relief and went to sit on his throne in the center of the room.

I looked at him watchfully, I knew he had serious issues on his mind.

"Sire..." I trailed, letting go of Zelda to approach the throne.

Before I could ask my question Daphnes spoke.

"Did you kill whoever that was?" Daphnes asked me, interrupting my train of thought.

I paused for a moment, already disappointed in myself that he got away.

"No," I reply, "I'm afraid he got away."

Daphnes closed his eyes at my answer.

Zelda then came up to me just then, with the worried look in her eyes never going away.

"He's still alive?" her voice had hints of fear.

I nodded feeling like a failure, but didn't let that deter me.

"Sire, I have some information," I said expectant.

Daphnes looked over at me with an odd expression of surprise on his face.

"Information?" he inquired.

"Yes," I said with a nod.

Not anticipating this, Daphnes leaned forward giving me his full attention.

"Before the intruder escaped I captured him," I said, "he said something about the encroachment would take place soon."

Daphnes tried to remain calm, but I saw the subtle shift in his manner and body language. His eyebrows rose ever so slightly, and I noticed he stiffened. I knew what I just told him meant something, but I had no idea what it was.

Zelda looked at me puzzled.

"Encroachment?" she inquired. "What is he talking about?"

I shook my head, not having an answer for her.

_I'd like to know that myself, _I thought.

"They also said something about you knowing about the 'Interlopers'," I went on.

Daphnes looked at me stoic, and remained silent for a few moments; his behavior was very odd.

_He's hiding something,_ I thought, _but when isn't he hiding something?_

"Father..." Zelda trailed nervous, looking at the king, "who are the 'Interlopers'?"

Daphnes looked over at his daughter and didn't answer her.

"Did whoever he was use magic?" Daphnes asked me abruptly.

_How did he know that? _I wondered.

I nodded.

"Yes," I say, "they constructed a barrier that didn't allow me to pursue them further."

Daphnes absorbed my words with a troubled countenance, and I wanted to ease his concerns if I could.

"What are your orders my lord?" I preempted my inquiry, already knowing what to do.

Daphnes hesitated.

"I wish to convene on this further," he replied, "I will call for you on when I decide what steps need to be taken."

_What? _I thought.

I looked at Daphnes surprised.

It must have showed, because then he asked me, "Is there a problem Link?"

I bit my lower lip slightly annoyed.

_Yes, _I thought.

"No," I replied, "of course not."

"Good," Daphnes said to me, then stood up, "this audience is over."

He got up from his throne and headed for the door. As he walked by, Zelda and I both bowed. I sighed when the door closed and we were alone.

_He's hiding something, _I thought, _I don't know what, but he's hiding something._

Zelda came up to me again and rested her head on my chest. She must've taken notice to the curt expression on my face.

"What's the matter?" she asked me.

_Your father, _I thought.

"Nothing," I lied.

Zelda looked up at me concerned.

"Please don't do that to me Link," she said gently, "I know something is bothering you. Please share it with me."

I sighed, knowing she wanted to be helpful, but before I could reply she added, "It must be so hard being all alone," she said to me, "you have only father and myself. Your parents are gone, and you're a hero with a heavy burden. I know my father can seem crass, but he means well with you... for the both of us actually."

I tried not to let it show, but her words aggravated me. At any given circumstance that I was displeased with her father, Zelda found it necessary to bring up my lack of familial support. I knew she didn't mean anything by it, but it was disconcerting just the same.

_Is that suppose to comfort me?_ I thought slightly upset with her unintentional insolent words. _Do I really need reminders of my ophaned childhood right now? We all can't have a silver spoon Zelda._

I pulled her back and looked into her eyes.

"I'm tired," I said softly, "I'm going to retire home. Call for me if you need me."

Zelda could see the strain in my face. She looked perplexed as to why I wanted to depart.

"Link..." she trailed, trying to grab my hand, but I pulled from her reach, "what did I say?"

I headed for the door, then turned and bowed before I left. Zelda looked after me with a slightly distressed look in her eyes.

"Link..." she trailed again, but I didn't allow her to finish.

I headed down the corridor and out the castle to my villa in Castle Town. I washed up, changed, and then head out to Hyrule Field. I called Epona and just rode around for a few hours contemplating the gravity of the kingship.

_Daphnes has some serious explaining to do, _I thought. _How in the world can I protect Hyrule, if I don't know what she needs to be protected from? Who are the 'Interlopers'? Why am I just now finding out about other enemies to the kingdom?_

I rode around for hours thinking about these things. I only realized how long I was out when I saw dusk approach. I was going to head back, but then glanced over to Death Mountain trail where Kakariko impasse was.

_I wonder if... _I thought, letting my mind trail and decided to just go to Kakiriko Village, _maybe she's still open._

I rode over to the entrance and dismounted. I hurried into the village and to the shop where I was having my clothes made. I entered the shop breathing hard, precipitating a startled reaction from the bazaar owner and Saria. Both of them were in the middle of consultations when I disrupted the milieu. I was embarrassed.

_Oops, _I thought.

"Pardon me," I said apologetically, and stood off to the side.

Saria looked at me strange from the corner of her eye. I knew she wanted to know why I was there, and I did have a good explanation... at least I thought I did.

"So, I'll order the fabric and have it brought in to begin your dress," I heard Saria say to her customer, "I think the yellow daisy will compliment your skin tone well. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

The woman she was helping smiled.

"No, no thank you," the female patron said, "you've been most helpful. It's about time we had a dress maker in Kakariko Village."

Saria smiled at the patron's compliment. "Thank you," she replied, "I appreciate all the business."

"Well... I must confess," the female patron said, "I wanted to see what all the buzz was regarding the beautiful young seamstress."

Saria's eyes grew wide slightly and her cheeks blushed. "Uh... is that what people are referring to me as?" she asked.

The lady nodded, and then gave a snide smile. "Come come now my dear," she said, "you needn't be modest, you have looked in a mirror haven't you? You're absolutely stunning. You were definitely blessed by the goddess."

The burn never went away from Saria's cheeks. "Uh... thank you," she replied gently.

"Sure, honey," she said plastering her fake smile further, "sure." The female patron then turned ready to exit, when she spotted me. "Is that you Sir Link?" the woman asked.

I inadvertently glanced over at Saria who was now looking at me puzzled.

She mouthed to me silently _'Sir Link?'_

"Yes madam," I replied to the woman.

The woman's face brightened.

"I thought so!" she said enthusiastic. "Congratulations on your upcoming marriage to Princess Zelda. You will be an exemplary king!"

I smiled graciously at the woman's comment and nodded.

"Thank you," I said humbly.

With that the woman took her leave.

I glanced back over at Saria and her mouth was slightly ajar.

"You're engaged to the princess?" she asked incredulous. "_And_ you're a knight?"

I swallowed hard and nodded.

Saria's face didn't hide her shock.

"I can't believe it!" she said coming from behind her counter to assist me immediately, bumping herself in the process. "I'll go dig out my materials right now! I can't believe I sent you away!"

Saria's words were coming out in a frenzy of panic. She then turned from my company and hurried to the back room, there was a slight limp in her step.

_Oh no, _I thought, _this is what I didn't want._

Saria was only gone for a few moments, but I already heard things being pushed aside and falling from shelves. I got up from the counter and walked up to the back room. I stood in the doorway and watched as she frantically searched through her things.

"Oh goddesses, where did I put that damn needle bobbin?" Saria muttered to herself.

I looked down with my arms crossed and shook my head, but I couldn't help but smile.

"Saria," I said quietly, trying to get her attention.

She continued searching as if she didn't hear me.

"I know it's in here," she said to herself opening up a dark brown urn and checking it.

"Saria," I called to her a little louder, she still ignored me.

"I know!" she said to herself as if she had an 'ah ha' moment.

Saria got up and tried to reach the top shelf for a large wicker basket. I looked at her form and immediately prepared for the worse.

_She's going to fall, _I thought, readying myself by uncrossing my arms from over my chest.

_And_ sure enough, when Saria tried to yank the hefty basket she lost her footing and fell backwards.

"Ah!" she screamed, but was relieved immediately when I caught her.

I looked into her eyes for a brief moment, and she blushed embarrassed.

"I'm so clumsy," she said, "I'm sorry."

I couldn't help but smile.

"It's okay," I replied, still holding her in my arms.

"Uh..." Saria said still red, "you can put me down now."

"Oh," I replied, feeling a little foolish, "I'm sorry."

I put her down and she immediately stroked her hands through her green hair.

There was silence between us for a moment.

"I was going to tell you," I began, breaking it finally, "I didn't come for a consultation."

Saria was looking to the ground as I said this. Her cheeks were crimson.

"Oh," she said quietly, "then why are you here?"

That was a good question.

_Why _am _I here? _I thought.

"I..." I trailed, not knowing any other way to say it, but just to say it, "I came here because I wanted to talk to you."

Saria looked up at me surprised.

"What?" she asked.

_This is awkward, _I thought.

"I don't know why, but I feel the need to get to know you better," I replied.

Saria looked at me nervous, and took a couple of steps back.

"Sir Link..." she trailed, "I... I don't think that would be appropriate."

I pursed my lips together at her saying that.

_She's right, _I thought, _why am I acting so foolishly?_

"But I-" I tried.

"You should share your thoughts with the princess," she interrupted me softly, "_not_ with a woman you just met yesterday."

I knew she was right. The problem was I _knew_ I didn't meet this young woman only yesterday. There was something toiling inside of me to know more about her, but I couldn't expect that to happen if she thought I was crazy.

I took a step back.

"I'm sorry," I said, "you must think I'm very strange."

She tried to smile at hearing me say that.

"No," she replied careful, "sometimes we meet someone that takes us back to our childhood. It happens."

I nodded thinking about what she said, and then bowed.

"I'll see you in two days," I said to her trying to resume some of my pride.

Saria bowed back.

"Yes Sir Link," she replied softly.

With that I took my leave.

_What the hell are you doing? _I demanded of myself as I mount Epona. _All I need is for something like this to get out, and the entire kingdom will run that poor girl out of town._

I galloped back to Castle Town as evening set in.

I set Epona loose and headed to my villa.

_No more idiotic pursuits, _I thought as I dressed for bed.

With those thoughts I fell asleep.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and let me know what you think. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Inspiration: Gladiator, the scene where Russel Crowe takes off his mask and says "My name is Maximus Desmus Meridius..."; ronin warriors; the eccentric foreshadowing nature of the Happy Mask Saleman; and friendship.**

**Shout Outs: Great Irony, Salink Fan, 19ross-barratk (I'm so sorry I forgot to shout you out), and ShadowNinja1011 thanks for reading new readers**

**Original Author's Note: Reedited 4/9/2012; ADDENDUM- Reedited 1/1/2013, this chapter will include Saria's POV, and a more character interaction. Thanks. ~ZR~.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

Thoughts of a Slave: An Assassins Narrative

The cloaked and cowled killer ran fast past the trees of the forest looking for a specific destination. The assassin paused and dropped low when they thought they heard a sound of someone coming.

_I can't be careless, _the slave thought, _not like the other day._

The killer waited until the sound subsided. They rose their head at the brush and looked to see what it was. It was a royal elk. The slave let out a deep sigh when the animal galloped by. It brought up less than fond memories of a nearly spoiled plan. Even though the other day didn't go exactly as anticipated, the impact was still pretty devastating.

_The royal family and their devious schemes, _the killer thought, _it's only a matter of time now... they're about to implode._

However, even though what was done was done, the slave knew it could've been done better.

_If _he _ever finds out what happened, then I'm as good as dead, _the slave thought.

The assassin tried to shake their mind of the negative thoughts and grabbed onto a loose vine. The killer stepped back and pushed forward to create momentum. They swung across to the other side of the a precipice. When the slave landed, they rolled into a standing position and walked several yards into the dark purplish mist. The killer sniffed the air for some evidential marker of a scent.

_That spot is close, _the slave thought.

The assassin walked several more yards ahead, and knelt down and touched the ground where the imprint of their body was from the scuffle the other day. The killer wasn't expecting such a challenge from one of the guards of a routine hunt.

_That was no ordinary soldier, _the slave thought, _that man was the First Knight of Hyrule._

The assassin looked up and took note of some dried red blood on some loose foliage from where they were standing.

_He must've hit that barrier pretty hard to lose this much blood, _the killer went on to introspect.

The slave raised a clothed brow when they saw something they hadn't noticed before.

_What's this? _the assassin thought.

There was a faint second set of footprints in the ground where the blood trail ended.

_So, someone's coming to check on me... interesting, _the slave thought, _it's either that, or my eyes are playing tricks on me._

The assassin billowed an irritated breath at the thought, and then walked over a few steps to an old, decayed stump. The stump was their objective in the first place. Inside the cruddy, mildewed earth was was a scroll and a quiver of arrows. The assassin's face was stoic at the sight of this.

_Hmph, _the killer thought, _new orders already. It looks like he wants to proceed quicker than I had anticipated._

The assassin picked up the items and read the note before putting them away in their bag.

"Well," the assassin whispered, "no time to lose, I must prepare."

With that, the slave took off running at full speed and disappeared into the darkness of the mist.

~SSS~

Two Days Later: Saria's POV

_I don't remember my past._

I raised my eyebrows and grunted a little when I thought about that.

_Let me rephrase that. _

_I_ can't_ remember my past._

_My life seems like a dream really. I remember one day waking up in a tiny village, and then leaving that village to come to Hyrule. I had no real qualms about the move, I just moved. I have my reasons for being in the city, but that still doesn't quell the dormant uncertainty I feel inside me._

_Why can't I remember my past? What happened to me? Why can't anyone from the village I came from recall anything other than me just showing up one day?_

I bit my lower lip, racking my brain for the billionth time it seemed thinking about this.

_I don't know what happened to my parents. I don't know why I have certain abilities the way I do. I don't even remember where I learned how to sew. It's so strange._

I shook my head of my thoughts and decided to let it go. There was no sense thinking about things where there was no clear explanation. I had to let that go. Maybe one day something would conjure itself in my mind. Until then, I needed to focus on building my business.

I was in Castle Town square going from business to business asking if I could put up parchment and Gerudo ink flyers to advertise my dress shop in Kakariko Village. The layout of the square was broad and spacious with only one entrance to the castle from the south. There were guards stationed at every rooftop and every alley. Security seemed to be full proof, with the exception of breaks in continuity leading to the castle at five minutes before the hour to five minutes after the hour.

_That's an unnecessary ten minute window of lag, _I thought, _I wonder who came up with such a bloated defect in security when such important people's lives are at risk. _

I shrugged at the thought, but then paused and pondered why I was able to key in on such seemingly insignificant details from the average citizen. I was only a dressmaker after all.

_It's no matter Saria, _I told myself, _just hang your flyers and move on with your life. _

I was nearly done surveying the square, when I came to one of the last few shops in the eastern part of town, the Happy Mask Shop. It was taking me a lot longer to do the marketing with my limp, but I needed the business. I paused for a moment and looked at the store. I didn't know what it was about the mask place that bothered me so, but I decided to put away my instincts and ask the owner if I could advertise anyway.

_Make your visit short and brief, _I thought.

I opened the door, walked in, and uncloaked my headdress. I didn't know why, but it was the only place out of all the businesses I went to that I took off my head covering.

_Maybe it's a subliminal way of showing the owner I'm not afraid, _I thought.

The man behind the counter gave me an odd look at the action.

"Good morning," I greeted with a big smile, "how are you this morning?"

The happy mask salesman stared at me for a long time before he greeted me back.

"Good morning young lady," he replied.

This was the first time I met him, but there was something definitely unsettling about his manner.

_Make this quick, _I told myself.

I took a few steps forward.

"I'm new to the area and was wondering if I could advertise my dress shop in your business," I stated, "it could be mutually beneficial for the both of us. If you send customers my way, I'll gladly advertise your shop as well."

The salesman looked me up and down several times before he answered my proposition. He smiled a very wide, queer smile that both seemed out of place and purposeful. I tried not to let it show, but I took a small step back.

"So," he said finally, "you want to advertise your little shop in here do you?"

I didn't reply right away. There was something in his face and manner that was completely unnerving.

_Little shop? _I wondered, a little put off by his slighted disrespect.

"Yes," I replied, "I just opened in Kakariko Village, and would like to expand. Castle Town seems like the best possible location for advertising."

I smiled when I said this, and the salesman narrowed his eyes slightly at me. He looked like he was studying me. I raised a brow at his gaze.

_What is wrong with this man? _I wondered. _Why is he so… odd? _

"You think Castle Town is a good place to advertise?" he inquired.

I paused for a moment, not at all expecting the question and answer session he was starting to produce.

"Yes, I did," I said, then took another step back, "but if you'd rather not I-"

"Nonsense!" he interrupted with sudden enthusiasm. "You can hang your flyer right over there on the bulletin board."

I paused again, and then took in a sudden relieved breath. I looked to my left where the bulletin board was and then nodded my thanks.

"Much obliged good sir," I said and pinned the parchment up.

The salesman gave me another long once over and smiled again.

"Of course," he said, "of course."

The uncomfortable feeling of being in this man's presence never left me. I wanted to hurry up with my business and get out of there.

_Say your goodbyes and leave, _I told myself.

Once I was done, I bowed and then hurried for the exit.

"Thank you very much for your patronage," I said.

However, before I had a chance to open the door the salesman called out to me.

"Before you go, do you mind taking a look at my wares?" he asked. "I may have something of interest to you."

I raised my eyebrows and turned around just then. I sighed a little in apprehension, because I didn't see how he could have had anything of interest to me.

_Just entertain his notion Saria, _I told myself, _entertain it so you can leave. _

"Oh… okay," I replied and went over to the counter he was standing behind, "that's very kind of you."

The closer I got to him, the more uneasy I began to feel.

_Something isn't right about all this, _I discerned. _This is odd, and I know I should listen to my better judgment._

The salesman waited until I was directly in front of him before he reached under his counter and pulled out several different masks.

"You see," he started, "the premise of my shop is to sale happiness to people. They find their happiness with these different masks I own."

I was quiet as I watched him shuffle through several of them. One was of a Zora's face, another was of a Goron's face.

_This is certainly different, _I thought.

"Once a customer finds their true happiness, then they pay for the mask," he went on and continued to shuffle.

I sighed, wanting him to hurry.

There was a heart shaped mask with large circular eyes and multicolored design all over it; it was hideous. There was another with another of a Deku kid; it was actually kind of cute.

"Once payment has been received, they can have that happiness forever," he said still shuffling. "The problem is I need field consultants to provide this happiness."

I had to admit they were all well made. There was a mask of a fairy. There was a mask of a Keaton, an elusive animal that was very rare and hard to find. There was another mask of a little boy with purplish blue hair; the carving looked sad. I was impressed with the details of the work, but I still couldn't shake this unease I was feeling. Once he concluded the terms of business, he stopped shuffling and stared at me.

"Well?" he asked with a raised brow.

I looked at him slightly confused.

_Well what? _I thought.

"I'm sorry?" I replied.

My reply made him smile.

"Would you like to work for me?" he asked.

I felt my throat tighten and tried not to let my nervousness show.

"Uh… I'm afraid I wouldn't have the time sir," I replied, "thank you for the offer though. That's very generous of you."

The salesman stared at me for a long time without saying anything. He looked like he was pondering over my reply. I couldn't help but think he was pondering more.

_Please don't be having indecent thoughts, _I thought.

"Well," he started finally, "if it isn't for you, it isn't for you."

The salesman said that very matter-of-fact, but there was an undercurrent of cynicism in his tone. Even still, I backed up anyway.

"Uh… yes," I replied, "thank you for understanding."

The salesman nodded and then looked at my hair.

"Can I ask you a question miss?" he asked me.

I sighed and nodded my reply.

"Of course," I said.

He looked at my hair once more.

"Where did you get such beautiful green hair?" he asked me.

I furrowed my brow and felt my breath quicken.

_Why would he care about knowing that? _I wondered.

"I… I was born with it," I replied.

The salesman nodded slowly and then looked at my face.

"It's quite unusual and quite pretty," he said, then reached under his counter once more. "If you don't mind, I have another mask I'd like to show you. Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to sell it, I just want you to look at it."

I had a bad feeling about what he was asking me and hesitated. I wanted to get out of that creepy shop as soon as possible. There was something about this whole situation that wasn't sitting well with me.

_Leave Saria, _I told myself, but my feet didn't move.

Instead, I went against my better judgment and approached the counter once more.

"Um… okay," I said, trying to be cordial.

He smiled and then pulled out the mask he wanted to show me.

"Tell me what you think about this," he said and held up a mask of a little girl.

I didn't know why, but my eyes widened when I saw the visage. The mask was of a pretty little girl with green hair. I felt my skin crawl at the sight of it.

_What in the world…? _I wondered in disbelief.

"Where did you- where did you find that?" I stammered.

It was in that moment the happy mask salesman opened his eyes and stared at me. I felt my own eyes widen at the sight of his sinister looking gaze.

_Now I see why he keeps his eyes closed, _I thought, _he looks absolutely insane when they are opened._

"You don't like it?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm, and then looked down at the carved visage. "It is an acquired taste I suppose, even though this Kokiri child is absolutely lovely," he glanced at me, "like you young maiden. However, I suppose you're more content with the _mask _you're wearing right now."

My eyes widened even more when I took several steps back from the counter. I looked at the man horrified.

_What the hell is he talking about? _I demanded to myself. _What mask? What's a Kokiri child?_

I didn't bother to share my inquiries. I bowed once more and hurried out of the shop. Outside, in the sunlight square, I hurried to a nearby alley and closed my eyes to try and calm down my racing heart. I knew there was something strange about the Happy Mask Shop, and now I realized what it was: the owner. That whole encounter was strange and didn't make sense.

_Why would he say those things to me? _I wondered. _He doesn't even know me. _

I bit my lower lip and swallowed hard.

_The face of that mask resembled me if I were a child, _I thought unsettled, _where could he have found that? _

I shook my head of my thoughts as I didn't have time to ponder over them. Out of the corner of my eye from the alley, I noticed a tall gentleman dressed in knight's armor heading south toward the castle. I quickly hooded myself and turned away when I saw it was Link. He looked serious and had a determined stride in his step. Whatever was on his mind must have been pretty important.

_I need to avoid him, _I thought, but then realized that was going to be impossible because he had an appointment with me later in the day.

Ever since he came back to the shop two days ago after gramps and I spoke, I had an uneasy feeling my pseudo guardian was right. I found it strange that Link wanted to come and talk to me when he hardly knew me. And with him being a knight and engaged, I didn't want rumors to start. I was new to the area. No one knew anything about me. The last thing I needed was to be accused of flirting with an engaged man.

_I need to keep a low profile, _I thought._ Just take care of your business in town and get going, _I told myself, _the sooner you get to Kakariko Village the better._

With that resolve in mind, I hurried to finish what I came to Castle Town to do.

~SSS~

Earlier the same day leading to the present: Link's POV

The next couple of days came and went, and I found myself eager to get back to the dress shop so I could see Saria again. I knew people would consider my wanting to get know Saria wrong, but it wasn't just some crazy physical attraction I had towards her. There was _something_ inconspicuous about her. Something deep and intriguing, that I couldn't let go of because I needed to know more about her.

_I just want to know where she's from, _I thought, _that's all._

However, before I could tackle that mystery, I had to handle another. I dressed and headed for the castle when I received word the king wanted to have an audience with me.

_I think he's finally come to his senses, and sees he can't keep everyone in the dark, _I thought.

I walked through Castle Town with pure tunnel vision. However, I did catch a glimmer of someone hiding in an alley. I had no time to look into it now, but I'd make sure to assign someone check the alleys later.

_Looks like some of the men are becoming lackadaisical, _I thought, _I have to remedy that._

When I got to the courtyard, the guards let me in and escorted me to the counsel room. Inside, both Zelda and Daphnes were waiting for me. I bowed when I saw the both of them. Daphnes signaled for the other men to retreat and for me to approach the throne. I could see out of the corner of my eye the slight anguish in Zelda's face.

_She must still think I'm cross with her,_ I thought.

To ease her discomfort, I went over and kissed her hand softly. She blushed at my touch, her face softened, and she smiled.

_That's better, _I thought and grinned at her.

"You called for me my lord?" I inquired, turning my attention back to the king.

"Yes," Daphnes said to me, and cleared his throat.

The king looked extremely uncomfortable. I had never seen Daphnes that way, whatever was bothering him had to be of the utmost importance.

_He wasn't playing, _I thought_._

"What I'm about to tell you is one of the darkest secrets of the royal family," the king began, "I must have your word you will repeat this to no one."

I raised my eyebrows surprised. I glanced over at Zelda who was exemplifying the same aura.

_'One of' the darkest secrets? _I wondered. _How many are there?_

"You have my attention sire," I replied.

Daphnes raised his eyebrows at me.

"Do I have your promise?" he asked me.

I swallowed hard.

_This must be serious, _I thought.

"You have my attention and my promise," I replied.

Daphnes sighed before he went on, pausing for a few brief moments to collect his thoughts.

"Long ago, one of the kings of Hyrule made a pact with the leader of the dark tribe of the Interlopers," he divulged. "This leader was a blood thirsty individual who wanted to harness the power of dark energy for magic practicing purposes. The greatest goal of that Interloper, or any of them rather, was to become a sorcerer... and what greater dark energy is there than the Triforce of Power?"

My eyes widened stunned.

_That's why he asked me if the assassin used magic, _I discerned.

"I never considered the Triforce of Power a source of dark energy," I replied, trying to understand, "I thought its influence was based off the main essence of its carrier."

"You're right in a sense," Zelda segued, "however, the goal differentiates per essence. There are three cardinal attributes of the Triforce: wisdom, courage and power. In the case dark energy, it would permeate more from the Triforce of Power than from courage or wisdom, because power is a more seductive attribute."

_That makes sense, _I thought.

I nodded at her explanation, signifying I understood fully.

I turned my attention back to Daphnes for him to continue.

"The Interloper lord made an attempt to usurp the naive king of Hyrule at the time, but he was only saved by the princess of legend back then, my mother," Daphnes went on. "She sealed them away in a realm of twilight, and for a time, all was well."

I remained silent for him to continue, and the king took in a deep troubled breath.

"However… the seal has been waning," Daphnes explained, "it was actually waning when you were fighting Ganondorf. The only reason why it has not been completely broken is because the Triforce of Power is concealed in the Sacred Realm."

I listened, understanding most of what he was saying, but was still confused as to how the initial circumstances were circumvented.

_Why the alliance in the first place? _I thought.

"My lord, why would the king of Hyrule make a pact with the leader of the dark tribe?" I asked.

Daphnes hesitated, but undoubtedly decided to answer.

"Back during the Great War many unlikely bedfellows were made," Daphnes said to me, "to try and get rid of Demise we had to call upon some unsavory villains for help."

I looked at him puzzled.

_Unsavory villains? _I thought. _Demise?_

"I thought Demise was defeated by the first family of Hyrule," I replied confused.

Zelda sighed and looked at me worried.

"Demise will _never _be defeated," she divulged, "his essence merely transfigures. The Demise my father is speaking of is another reiteration of him in the past. That's why Ganon was so persistent. _He_ instinctively was, and is Demise."

My mouth nearly dropped at the revelation.

_Ganon _is _Demise?_ I thought in disbelief.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes," Zelda replied.

I shook my head, completely boggled at the idea of Ganondorf's spirit being the true spirit of evil, but it made sense.

"At the time of the Great War," Daphnes continued, "another configuration of Demise was attacking the land, and that's why my grandfather rallied whoever he could," he paused for a moment, "even the scum that is now banished to the twilight."

I raised an eyebrow.

_What is this 'twilight' he keeps speaking of? _I wondered.

"I wasn't aware there was a Twilight Realm," I replied, hoping that would make him continue, but the king was onto what I was doing.

"There are many in the kingdom who are unaware of its existence," he replied.

I didn't show it, but I was a little unnerved about what he was telling me.

_So, you only share this information with me now Daphnes?_ I couldn't help but think. _There __is so much about this family I don't know, _I thought, a_fter all this time and association with him, this man will never trust me._

"Is there any way to completely seal this... 'scum' back sire?" I asked, trying to figure out a counter resurgence.

Daphnes paused for a moment and looked away.

"There might be a way…" he said more to himself than to me.

I waited for him to continue, but he trailed off.

_What way?_ I thought.

"What would you like for me to do about this manner my lord?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Daphnes sighed, almost in relief at my reply.

"So, then you'll help us?" the king asked me unconventionally.

I looked at him surprised.

_Why wouldn't I? _I wondered.

"It's my duty sire," I said to him serious, "Hyrule is my mother country."

I saw out of the corner of my eye Zelda smiling at me when I said that. I saw a glint of reprieve in Daphnes' eyes as well.

_Did he really think I wouldn't help?_ I wondered.

"I want you to investigate and find out more about this Interloper infringement that assassin spoke of," Daphnes said to me. "Find out if this threat is real, or constructed by some enthusiastic historian with too much time on their hands."

I found it odd that he would say that, but didn't entertain it.

_He probably wouldn't tell me anyway, _I thought.

I bowed immediately, confirming my acceptance of the assignment.

"Yes sire," I replied.

I turned to leave, when Zelda suddenly stopped me.

"Link," she said my name softly.

"Yes?" I replied expectant, turning at the sound of her voice.

She kept her beautiful face stoic.

"The engagement party has been postpone for a few months due to the coronation," she said, "I'll get back to you when I've confirmed a date. Is that to your liking?"

I merely nodded, knowing that secretly in her words she was trying to apologize for yesterday. I realized then I overreacted a bit.

_She cares about me so much, _I thought.

"That sounds perfect," I said, then flashed her a quick smile, "however you want to do it is fine with me."

Zelda blushed at hearing that.

"Wonderful," she said, "I'll keep you posted my love."

I bowed again, then took my leave.

I went down the hall to the Situation Room and convened with the head of the guard. I ordered a small band of troops to scour the countryside along with the surrounding districts. If there were any dark tribe members in Hyrule, I would find them. I also doubled the guard in the alleys after seeing them so poorly posted this morning.

_We'll try to keep this threat nice and quiet, _I thought, _I do not want mayhem to spread._

After my discussion, I headed back to Castle Town to my villa. I was about to go inside, but paused when I saw an unexpected but familiar face.

_Is that... Saria? _I thought, watching a cloaked woman carry a basket and head for the draw bridge.

She looked like she was trying to keep a low profile. The distinctive limp is what really got my attention. I hesitated, but eventually decided to follow her; it was the day of my fitting anyway so I had an excuse. Besides, I was curious to see what she was doing in Castle Town.

_Maybe she's here on business, _I thought, _and I'd still like to know how she hurt her ankle._

I immediately put my hood over my head so I wouldn't be noticed by any of the town's folks. I stayed about fifty feet away from her and tailed her. Saria headed past the draw bridge and out to Hyrule Field, but when she saw a small horse post set up next the draw gate entrance, she walked over and decided to look at some of the stallions on display. Facilitating the show was a friend of mine named Malon Lon from Lon Lon Ranch. As soon as Saria walked over, the agreeable redhead greeted her with a handshake and gestured for her to check out the horses. It was from then on I couldn't make out what they were talking about.

I stayed in the shadow of the bridge until Saria was done.

_So, she likes horses huh? _I thought. _That's good to know. _

~SSS~

Saria's POV

"He's a beauty," I was saying to the horse owner, a lovely young lady with a winning smile, "how old is he?"

The redhead grinned.

"He's almost three years old," she said, "my father went to Gerudo Valley to get this one."

_A real Gerudo stallion, _I thought, but then glanced over my shoulder to see if that knight was still following me. _I hope he goes away soon. I don't need this kind of aggravation right now. _

"How much is he?" I asked turning back.

The lady shrugged.

"We're only looking for five thousand for him," she replied.

I raised my eyebrows, surprised at the cheap price.

"That's not bad," I said.

"Not bad at all," she replied.

I grinned and patted the horse's beautiful black mane.

_She's certainly a savvy business woman, _I thought.

"Where are you located?" I asked.

The redhead pointed to the center of Hyrule Field where a large wooden fence enclosed a ranch and stable.

"We also allow rides, so our customers can get a feel for our horses," she went on.

I nodded, definitely wanting to take advantage of that.

_This horse is perfect, _I thought, _but I need to test him out. I might need to buy him later. _

I looked over my shoulder again, and still saw that Link was waiting in the shadow of the bridge. The lady took note of that.

"Is everything okay miss?" she asked me. "That's the second time you looked over your shoulder. You looked concerned about something."

I bit my lower and sighed. I looked into the young woman's blue eyes.

_Maybe I should tell her, _I thought.

"Do you see someone standing in the shadow of the bridge?" I asked.

The lady looked past me to the draw bridge. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

"There's no one there," she said looking back at me.

_What? _I thought in disbelief.

I turned and looked again and she was right, he was gone.

_Where did he go? _I thought upset, and quickly scanned the area.

The redhead saw the perplexed look on my face and inquired of it.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Is someone bothering you?"

_That's what I'm trying to figure out, _I thought,

I swallowed hard and bowed at the young woman.

"Thank you for your time," I said quickly, not answering her questions, "you'll see me at your ranch in the future."

The redhead's concerned expression never went away.

"Ma'am, are you sure you-" she tried.

"I've got to go," I interrupted and hurried towards Kakariko impasse across the way.

I didn't want to be rude, but I really had to go.

_Let me get out of here before he starts following me again, _I thought.

With that, I quickened my step and hurried across the field.

~SSS~

Link's POV

When I saw Saria hurry away from Malon, I went over to my old friend to see what had gone on between the two of them. Malon was surprised to see me approach. I unhooded myself so she would know it was me.

"Hey grasshopper," she said in her normal enthusiastic voice, "you interested in buying a friend for Epona?"

I smiled at her.

"Not this time," I said, and then glanced over at Saria gaping her distance. "What was that young woman inquiring about?"

Malon gave me a funny look and shook her head.

"You were who she was talking about," she detracted, as if she had an 'ah ha' moment.

I looked at her puzzled for a moment.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"She was worried some nut job was following her," she stated, and then gave me a knowing stare, "are you the nut job following her?"

I paused for a moment, not sure I wanted to answer that.

_She might get the wrong idea, _I thought.

"I'm not... following her per se," I said carefully, "there is some important information I'm trying to get from her."

_That isn't necessarily a lie, _I thought.

Malon raised her eyebrow and looked back out to where the seamstress was.

"Information huh?" she said with cynicism.

"Yes," I said before she went on, "that's why I need to know what you two were talking about."

Malon gave me a look of open distrust and frowned.

"What do you think we talked about?" she asked. "Tomatoes Link?"

I sighed and gave her an obvious stare.

"Come on Malon," I said, "I'm serious."

She studied my face for a moment and shook her head.

"You always are now grasshopper," she said, "you always are."

I looked away from her for a moment, knowing she was talking about the change in me. Malon remembered when I used to joke around with her, and act carefree.

_That Link seems to be gone, _I thought, _maybe one day I'll get him back Malon. _

"Malon..." I trailed, not wanting to discuss that, "please."

Malon sighed and shrugged.

"She wanted to know about the Gerudo stallion," she replied, "that's all."

I looked back out to where Saria was walking; she was much farther away.

"Thanks," I said, not waiting for her to continue, as the seamstress was getting well ahead of me now, "get inside the draw bridge, and put the horses in the public stable. It's dangerous out here."

I hurried back to Hyrule Field leaving my friend with her mouth agape. She looked around the expanse of empty field and scoffed.

"Dangerous, right," she said sarcastic, but pulled on her showcased horse anyway to guide it to the bridge, "be careful you worry wart!" she called after me.

_Maybe I do worry too much, _I thought, settling into a slight jog, _I guess when you become head of security that's a trait you pick up._

With Malon inside the gate, I quickened my pace even more. I stayed back and watched as Saria scuttled quickly across the commodious acreage. She seemed in a hurry.

_I wonder if she knows I'm following her? _I thought, and a slowed down once I got within thirty feet of her.

I looked ahead, and noticed beyond her a carriage lying immobile near the bridge that led to Kakiriko Village. I paused for a moment wondering if Saria saw the carriage too.

_Please be careful, _I thought, watching as she reached the bridge.

I quickened my pace as I saw her pass over the bridge in haste.

_For a girl with a limp, she certainly is quick, _I thought.

Saria was heading up the incline of the bridge, when a moment later my fears were confirmed. A barrage of marauders were waiting silently behind the carriage, and when they saw Saria, they went to attack.

"Ah!" she screamed in terror, drawing back when she saw them coming for her.

My pace quickly accelerated from a power walk to a sprint. I pulled an arrow from my quiver and immediately fired.

"Saria get down!" I called out.

She looked startled as she turned and saw me running towards her. Saria instantly obeyed, and dropped to the ground. At seeing me, the thieves hastily retreated, but not before my arrow stung one of them in the leg.

"Ah!" the thief cried out, but still had enough strength to limp into the carriage with his other comrades.

Once inside, they instantaneously giddied the horses and sped away. Saria had to move quickly, as they tried to run her over. I watched as they headed east toward Gerudo Desert. When they were out of sight I hurried to Saria's side. She was bundled on the ground trembling.

"It's okay," I said, kneeling down and placing a hand on her shoulder, "they've gone."

Saria's pulled away from my touch and looked up at me anxiously; there were tears in her eyes. I stood up understanding her fear. Saria got up of her own accord and wiped the tears away.

"Thank you," she said to me quietly and bowed, she then turned to head back over the bridge.

I looked after her surprised.

_She doesn't want any help? _I wondered.

"Wait," I said and she stopped.

Her back was to me

"Yes?" she asked.

I walked over to her.

"Let me escort you," I replied, "I have an appointment with you anyway."

Saria sighed at hearing that and merely nodded. She was acting as if what I told her was bad news.

"Fine," she said without looking at me.

_She must really be shaken up, _I thought.

I tried to help her again, but she refused.

"I know how to walk," she said to me with a curt undertone.

I raised my eyebrows, a little surprised at her spirited tone. I watched her get up and noticed her limp was slightly worse.

_She must have aggravated it when she fell to the ground,_ I thought.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

Saria groaned in irritation.

"I'm fine," she replied in haste, heading down the incline fast.

I had to quicken my pace to keep up with her. We headed up the steps and I saw her wince in pain from each movement.

_Why does she feel has to put up a brave front, _I thought, _she looks like she's in pain._

"Saria…" I trailed.

Saria stopped suddenly and turned to look at me indignant.

"Will you stop pandering over me!" she snapped. "I'm fine."

I was a little caught off guard by her slightly raised voice, but I couldn't help but look into her beautiful eyes. They were staring into mine with determination. I simply shrugged at her comment.

"Whatever you say Ms. Lady," I replied, then did a mock bow, "break a leg if you want to."

I had to admit I found her spirited nature very attractive. I grinned when she rolled her eyes at me.

_She's not at all like when I first met her,_ I thought, _now she's__ like a ball of green fire...__ b__eautiful, seductive, hot, green fire._

When we entered Kakiriko, we were unfortunately greeted by Cujo. When Cujo saw Saria limping, he looked at me with indignation.

"What have you done you blonde asshole?" Cujo accused.

I ignored him.

_He's such a nuisance,_ I thought.

"I'm fine Cujo," Saria replied to him, "don't worry."

_So, she already knows the psychopath… great,_ I thought sarcastic.

Cujo sent me a venomous glance, and I shook my head.

"If anything happens to Ms. Saria…" Cujo trailed.

I took in a deep breath, not wanting to be bothered by his nonsense, but he was leaving me no choice.

_Just answer the man Link, _I thought.

"I know," I continued for him, "you'll throttle me. I received your message last time, remember?"

After leaving Cujo's company, we eventually hobbled to her shop. We entered the store, and the bazaar owner looked at the both of us in surprise, especially when he saw Saria's condition.

"Are you alright my dear?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, "Sir Link helped me escape some thieves."

"Thieves?" he repeated in disbelief. The elderly shop owner looked at me with admiration. "Thank you good sir," he said gratefully, "we are indeed in good hands when you become king."

I just nodded.

"It's not a problem," I replied.

Saria hobbled behind the counter and rested on a stool.

"I'll be able to help you in a moment Sir Link," she said to me, "I just need to rest my leg for a little while."

I looked at her perplexed.

"Don't worry about me," I replied, "I'm worried about your leg."

Saria looked down at her ankle; it was red and swollen.

_That short fall did that?_ I wondered.

"Oh!" the elderly shop keeper gasped when he saw the size and diameter of the swelling. "Let me get some ice."

He hurried to the back.

I removed my cloak and kneeled at her stool to examine her leg. Saria blushed when I touched her skin, she then smacked my hand away. I looked at her surprised.

"What was that for?" I asked a little indignant.

"It's fine!" she insisted; her cheeks were flushed and she looked like a beautiful red flower.

I smirked realizing what the _real _problem was.

_I see, _I thought.

"Just try and calm down," I said, "I'm not _that _irresistible."

I was actually surprised at myself. I hadn't said anything even remotely controversial in a while, and here I was now insinuating something on this woman's love life.

_Maybe some of the old me is starting to come back, _I thought.

However, Saria looked at me livid.

"What?" she demanded. "You have a lot of nerve!"

"Just relax," I repeated, trying to rotate her ankle so I could get a better look, "I know it's _been_ awhile, but try to control yourself, okay?"

At my saying that, Saria pulled her leg from my grasp, and pushed me onto my behind with her other good foot.

I looked at her surprised.

"Damn it!" I said upset. "Can't you take a joke?"

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Get off me you conceited bastard!" she demanded.

I looked at her stunned.

_Conceited bastard?_ I thought incredulous. _This _is_ my thanks?_

"What?" I replied.

"You heard me!" she said, not backing down. "I didn't stutter!"

I got up off the floor and wiped my hands on my tunic.

"You're really ungrateful when I just saved your behind!" I shot back, allowing my anger to get the better of me.

She wasn't going to let that slide.

"Who asked you too?" Saria divulged. "And don't think I didn't notice you following me in Castle Town! What are you? Some kind of stalker?"

_So, she did know I was following her, _I thought.

Before I could reply, the bazaar owner returned.

"I found some!" the elderly gentleman stated, coming and putting a clump of unclothed ice on Saria's bare skin.

"Ah," she moaned in pain.

I knew that had to be uncomfortable.

_It can't be left like that, _I thought looking at the ice in slight irritation, _but I don't know if Ms. Crazy will attack me again._

"Do you have any unused fabric?" I asked the bazaar owner.

The older man looked at me worried.

"Oh yes, yes," he said quickly, "why? Do I need that?"

I nodded in reply.

"You need to wrap the ice in cloth to keep it insulated," I replied, "otherwise the ice is going to melt too fast."

_I've had plenty of swollen limbs, _I thought, feeling like an orthopedic authority, _I definitely know._

Saria winced in pain again, and directed her attention to the old man.

"There's some scrap cloths in my large urn," Saria told the bazaar owner, "you can use one of those as an insulator."

The elderly gentleman nodded.

"Oh, okay," he said quickly, and went to get them.

When we were alone neither one of us said anything. My first instinct was to leave, but I did want to make sure Saria was okay.

_She's so guarded against me today, _I thought, giving her ankle another once over, _she wasn't like this at all when I first met her. I wonder why she had the sudden change of heart._

I saw her trying to rotate her foot now, and my concern never went away.

"Be careful when you do that," I said, "you don't want to aggravate it."

She huffed impatiently just then.

"I'm aware of that," she said short.

I raised my eyebrows and took in a deep frustrated breath. Her attitude was starting to get on my nerves. I was only concerned for her safety. I didn't understand this biting, sharp tone and manner.

_Maybe I should just leave,_ I thought, seriously considering it,_ but I need to know that limb isn't broken. I'll just ignore it for now, maybe she's acting this way because of the pain._

"How did you hurt your ankle so badly?" I asked her all of a sudden.

She looked up at me with open annoyance.

"You didn't see me fall?" she asked in a snide manner.

I was taken aback once again with her tone and my composure left me for a moment.

"Why are you being so rude to me?" I demanded. "What the hell is your problem?"

She didn't answer me right away.

"Why were you following me?" she detracted. "Do you _want _something? If so, I'm _not _that kind of girl."

I looked at her surprised.

"I don't think of you as that kind of girl!" I insisted. "I just wanted to make sure you got back to the village okay. You _did _see those thieves, didn't you?"

Saria looked away from me just then.

"I would have been fine!" she replied. "I don't need your help!"

I couldn't believe she was being so spiteful.

"What is going on with you?" I demanded. "A 'thank you' would be nice, but for whatever reason you only want to think the worst of me!

Saria still wouldn't look at me and her cheeks blushed.

"That's because… that's because you-you won't take a hint any other way!" she said.

I raised my eyebrows at the abrupt statement. She finally said what she was intending, but again before I could reply, the bazaar owner returned with the cloths halting our conversation. I glanced at her face and took note of her sullen expression.

_I knew there was more than she was letting on, _I thought.

In the time the elderly man was mending her leg, Saria didn't look at me.

_I guess maybe I did make it seem like I had other intentions, _I thought, _she doesn't know me to know my character._

The bazaar owner took the ice from her bare skin and wrapped it in the cloth and then placed it back on her swollen leg.

"There you go my dear," the bazaar owner said, proud of his work.

Saria smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said to him politely.

I sighed in relief when I saw she's going to be okay.

_It could've been worse, _I thought.

"I told you to get that looked at when it first happened," the bazaar owner divulged all of a sudden.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him in inquiry.

_What? _I thought.

"First happened?" I said puzzled.

The bazaar owner turned and gave me his attention.

"She came in here earlier this week with a swollen ankle," he said to me, "I told her to have a doctor look at it. She insisted that she was fine."

Saria looked aggravated that he revealed that to me. She then reached over and pulled on the bazaar owner's trousers to get his attention.

"It's none of his business," she said to him of me, "why are you telling him this?"

The elderly man frowned at her comment.

"I don't see why you're being so ornery," the bazaar owner said back to her, "he helped you and you've been nothing but rude to him!"

Saria looked at him shocked, and when she opened her mouth to rebut, the bazaar owner interrupted her again.

"Oh, I guess you didn't think I heard your banter out here when I was looking for the cloth," the elderly man divulged, "you should be ashamed of yourself! Why in all the time I've known you, you've never spoken so ugly!"

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"But-but did you hear what he said to me?" Saria demanded. "He-he said-"

"No excuses!" the bazaar owner interrupted again firmly. "You need to apologize."

Saria's mouth dropped.

"I will not!" she insisted. "That is out of the question!"

I stepped back and grinned at the argument, happy I had won an unlikely ally.

_This old man is really something, _I thought.

"Oh, yes you will," the bazaar owner warned, "how are you going to pay it forward Saria, when you're making it so hard to pay it back?"

Saria swallowed hard and looked away from him. She was clearly upset he wasn't seeing things her way. She sighed frustrated, and when she finally did look at me, she didn't meet my eyes.

"I'm sorry Sir Link," she said in a low voice.

I didn't know whether I should accept it or not, but when I looked over at the bazaar owner I quickly conferred.

"It's perfectly fine," I replied.

_This old guy is no joke,_ I reiterated my thought, _I hope I'm that full of life in my old age._

Saria and I were silent after that.

The elderly man sighed.

"I need to get back to work," he said, going back to his counter, "young people these days," he grunted to himself.

I grinned at the old man and nodded my head respectfully as he went by. I then turned my attention back to Saria who was looking at her swollen leg.

_Maybe I should try to break the tension, _I thought.

"So…" I began, "I guess that consultation isn't going to happen today."

Saria shot me an annoyed look.

_Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say, _I re-conferred.

I raised my hands in surrender.

"I was just asking," I replied.

Saria looked back down at her leg and sighed.

"I'm afraid not," she said.

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"That's alright," I said, "I just found out my engagement party isn't going to be for a few months. So, we have plenty of time for the fitting, or whatever it is you need to do."

She didn't look up at me.

"Congratulations," she muttered.

I stood there awkwardly for a few moments and then decided to continue.

_Just keep going, _I thought, _maybe something will come of this._

"It's probably just divine providence anyway that you hurt your ankle," I said changing the subject.

Saria shook her head, obviously irritated, and took in a deep breath.

"What are you talking about?" she asked me.

It seemed I was putting my foot in my mouth at every junction.

_Why am I finding it so hard to talk to her? _I thought.

"I'm going to have to put out an ordinance for all citizens to remain indoors after dark," I replied, "you might as well know now."

Saria whipped her head up in surprise.

"What?" she said surprised.

I raised my eyebrows slightly at her reaction.

"I'm establishing a curfew," I repeated, "there's a threat that needs to be thwarted."

"We can't leave the village at night?" she demanded of me, as if not having heard a word I said.

Her reaction was catching me off guard.

_What's this all about? _I wondered.

I shook my head no.

"I'm afraid not," I replied, "it's necessary, I'm taking all precautions."

Saria took in a deep breath and looked away when she heard that.

"Thanks for letting me know," she replied quietly, her mysterious manner returning. We were silent again, until Saria told me, "If you have other business to attend to please don't let me stop you."

I sighed, knowing she wanted to be rid of me, but I couldn't shake the feeling I had. Instead, I pulled up a stool in front of her and sat down. She looked up at me in surprise.

_I just want to ask her a few questions, _I thought.

"Let's talk," I said.

She was silent for a moment.

"About?" she inquired.

_Excellent,_ I thought, finding a way in.

"Something you said the other day has been weighing on my mind," I began.

She looked down at her ankle.

"What's that I wonder?" Saria asked, not really interested.

I grinned at her lack of enthusiasm.

"You stated that you probably reminded me of someone from my childhood," I said.

Saria looked up at me guarded just then, as if trying to anticipate what I was going to say next.

"Yes?" she inquired, wanting me to go on. "What about it?"

"Well…" I trailed for affect, "I never told you you reminded me of anyone from my childhood. I just stated you reminded me of someone I once knew."

Saria's eyes widened slightly, and she was going to say something but she stopped herself. It was just the reaction I was looking for.

_Gotcha,_ I thought.

"Do you want to explain that?" I asked, trying not to sound too self-assured, I didn't want her locking up on me.

Saria was silent for a moment, she looked away from me.

_She's trying to think of something, _I thought.

"It's a vague inclination Sir Link," she said finally.

"Not that vague," I said, not letting that slide, "not when I gave you no indicators."

Saria narrowed her eyes at me upset.

"I merely assumed," she said.

I raised my eyebrows in expectance.

"You merely assumed what?" I asked.

"That I was someone from your childhood," she replied simply, "it happens all the time."

_Not with me, _I thought.

"What made you assume that?" I asked.

She looked away again, and didn't reply right away. She glanced at my hands stationed at the bottom of the seat.

"Aren't you an orphan?" she asked me all of a sudden.

I drew back a little at her comment. She caught me unawares with that.

_How does she know that? _I wondered.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

Saria took in a deep sigh.

"You're an orphan, aren't you?" she asked again.

I pursed my lips together, not knowing how she could have possibly known that.

I nodded.

"Yes, I am," I said.

Saria raised her arm to show me the faint scar on her left hand.

"So am I," she said softly.

My eyes widened at the sight.

_Wait a minute... _I thought with a trail, _she has the same..._

Saria then took my hand in hers and pointed to the same scar on my left hand. I couldn't believe it.

_She has the same scar, _I thought, _the same one._

All orphaned children in Hyrule were required to have an identifiable incision. It was an odd practice, but it was effective for credential purposes.

"You have the same mark as I do," she said, "I thought you were stating a kinship with me related to that."

I honestly hadn't noticed, but after seeing that I did feel a kinship with her.

_She's an orphan just like me,_ I thought, _…just like the Kokiri Saria._

It was almost involuntary, but I squeezed her hand affectionately in mine. I caressed my thumb over her scar, realizing how beautiful it and she really was. Saria blushed and pulled her hand back. I knew she was trying to keep things at a minimal between us. After all, she didn't know me and I was engaged to another woman.

_She's must have had a hard life, _I thought, _no wonder she's so guarded after what I've done… so defensive. She's had to be that way her entire life._

"So… yeah…" she trailed, trying to break up the subtle tension between us, "that's what I thought you meant."

I was quiet for a moment, distilling what she told me.

"Where are you from?" I asked softly, feeling like I had to know.

Saria was quiet for a long time after I asked that, but then, almost unintentionally, tears filled her eyes. I felt slightly surprised when I saw this, but the surprise quickly melted into compassion.

"Hey..." I trailed in a voice much too soft for either one of us, "it's okay."

She blinked several times and sniffled.

"I-I don't remember," she whispered, "I've tried, but I can't remember anything."

Saria quickly wiped her eyes and looked away. I knew she thought she revealed too much.

"Please," she said, keeping her voice low, "could we not talk about this anymore?"

At seeing her reaction I nodded, dropping the subject.

"I'm sorry," I said gently, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay," she said, "you couldn't have known."

There was something in her tone that touched me. I reached up and caressed her cheek softly, running my fingers over the side of her face and resting them at her chin. She blushed at my touch and looked at me nervous. I knew she wasn't expecting something like that from me. I wasn't going to lie, I even surprised myself with that. _I _wasn't even expecting something like that from me. However, Saria looked over her shoulder worried. Fortunately, the bazaar owner wasn't at his desk, he was in the back going over his inventory. Saria then shifted her gaze to the door. She must have been concerned someone would come in and see us.

"Sir Link please," she begged quietly, "don't."

I understood her concerns. Here I was the future king of Hyrule inappropriately comforting a woman who bore no resemblance to my future wife.

_Oh, the scandal, _I thought sarcastic.

"I'm sorry," I apologized again, and dropped my hand.

Saria sighed, and edged back. She then focused her attention back on her leg.

"Please go," she said, "I'm fine, really. Thank you for all you've done."

I took in a deep breath and nodded. I didn't want to leave, but I knew it would be inappropriate for me to stay against her wishes. I then got up from the stool and bowed.

"Very well," I said, "I bid you good day Ms. Saria."

She bowed back from her seat.

"Like wise good sir," she replied.

I headed for the door, but then stopped when my hand was on the knob.

_I want to come back and check on her, _I thought, _I want to make sure she's okay._

"I'll be back in a few days, I want to check on that leg," I said without turning around, then took my leave before she had a chance to object.

"Sir Link-" she tried, but I was gone.

_There's no sense in asking if you already know the answer, _I thought, _some things you just have to do on your own._

~SSS~

I returned to Hyrule Field and called Epona. I mounted her, and immediately went from town to town establishing the curfew. I was met with some resistance at first, but when I made it clear that it was for the safety of the kingdom, most of the complaining subsided. It also helped that I went and told the citizens myself. Most of the people respected me, and if the decree was coming from the Hero of Time, then it must have been important.

It was dusk when I returned to my villa in Castle Town. However, I stopped short of my front door when I noticed a note sealed over the eyehole. I opened it and read it quickly. It was a message from the king seeking an audience with me immediately.

_What's this all about? _I wondered. _New information perhaps?_

I headed for the castle and ran a hand through my blonde hair. I hadn't looked in a mirror in hours, I hoped my appearance was suitable. I entered the castle gates and was escorted down the hall to the counsel room. Once inside, I saw Daphnes and Zelda seated on their thrones. For some reason, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

_Why do I feel like this suddenly? _I wondered. _This is odd._

I entered and bowed.

"You sent for me sire?" I inquired.

Daphnes gave me a long once over before he replied.

"Yes," he replied, "it's been brought to my attention that you are establishing a curfew on the citizens."

I thought nothing of the divulgence.

"Yes," I replied with a nod, "it's necessary until we get this Interloper situation settled."

Daphnes nodded, but then looked at me odd. I raised a brow at his unsettled eyes.

"Sire?" I asked of his stare.

The king gave me another quick once over.

"You do realize that you have to have _my_ permission first before such a decree is carried out," he said.

I worked hard not to let it show, but that utterance irritated me.

_He cannot be serious right now, _I thought.

"I understand that your majesty," I replied, "however, I ordered the decree in lieu of a royal command because I had to get it done quickly. I didn't do it as a sign of disrespect."

Daphnes raised his eyebrows upset.

"Of course," he said to me with open sarcasm, "your job is more important than respecting the authority of this throne."

I pursed my lips together to hold my tongue.

_We have a threat against the kingdom, and he orders this audience over some nonsensical politics? _I thought. _This is beyond ridiculous.__  
><em>

"Sire-" I tried.

"No!" Daphnes cut me off. "Ever since you were branded with the title 'Hero of Time' you've been an arrogant deterrent! I will not tolerate such insolence!"

It took everything in me to remain calm, because I knew he was going to start his idiotic rehashings of things that didn't exist. I had to look over at Zelda who looked extremely uncomfortable in that moment. Her eyes were telling me to let it go.

_I'm sorry my dear, but I have to address this, _I thought.

"What would you have me do then sire?" I asked, speaking out of turn. "Wait until it's politically convenient to save the town's people?"

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me.

"Watch your tone boy," he replied in a low angry voice, "you forget who you are, and what you are in the service of _this _throne."

I swallowed hard. I was so sick of the constant insinuations regarding my birthright. I was going to have my say on that as well.

"With all due respect your majesty, I am not your boy," I replied, "I _am _Link: first knight to the royal family, former wielder of the Master Sword, raised and bred in the forest of the Kokiri, and I am _not_ anyone's boy, much less yours."

Daphnes stood up angry at my words.

I saw Zelda's mouth drop.

"Link..." she trailed, but knew what was done was done.

"Silence!" Daphnes nearly screamed at me. "You will treat this office with respect! You are going to call off the curfew tonight and reestablish it when I give you the order!"

I narrowed my eyes slightly in disgust.

"You're willing to put every person's life at risk because of your fury with me?" I demanded.

Daphnes nearly came downstairs from his throne ready to attack me. Zelda quickly jumped up to stop him.

"Father no!" she exclaimed. "Link has a point. You cannot relinquish the curfew and put everyone in danger simply because of your pride. Think about that… please."

I looked from Zelda back to Daphnes. Daphnes was seething as he stared into my eyes, but then he took in a frustrated breath and looked away. I took in a deep breath myself and felt my heart go back to its normal sinus rhythm.

_This is insane! _I thought. _I have assassins to worry about, and now the king wants to discuss matters of bureaucracy?_

Abruptly, when all this was happening, a glass shattered from one of the high windows in the counsel room.

"What in the world..?" I heard Zelda say.

"Look out!" I called.

I moved quickly to push the king and Zelda out of the way of the debris. I turned and looked up to see what caused the break. The hole in the glass was small, and when I followed the trail, I saw an arrow with a note tied around it. I narrowed my eyes at the sight of it, knowing what it was immediately.

_Now the bastard wants to communicate, _I thought, getting up to make sure the area was clear.

I pulled out my bow and set an arrow in the sling. I readied myself and circled the room. When I was certain the area was clear I put my arrow away. I went back over to Zelda and the king.

"Are you alright?" I asked Zelda first.

"I'm fine," she said holding onto to me tightly as I helped her up, "what about you?"

"I'm okay," I said with a nod.

I let her go to check on the king. Daphnes fanned me off and stood up on his own accord. I headed over to the door and checked the adjacent corridor. I saw a platoon of guards heading for the counsel room. I halted them, not wanting more individuals to know about the dark Interlopers than necessary.

"I've stabilized the counsel room," I said, "check the perimeter and double the guards at each exit."

The guards salute and then head to their assignments. I turned and headed back inside the counsel room, making sure to lock the door behind me. I looked up and saw Daphnes already reading the note; his face was grave.

_Oh boy, _I thought with a sigh.

Zelda had apparently read it as well, as she sat back down and closed her eyes looking stressed.

"Dear goddesses," she whispered.

At hearing that, I came up quickly to look at the note. Daphnes handed it to me quickly forgetting the silly squabble he initiated. My eyebrows rose when I saw what was written.

"What the…?" I heard myself mutter.

The note said: _I see you… traitor._

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. The next chapter will be up Thursday.`<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Inspiration: The Minuet of the Forest from OoT; forests; the 'Master Sword' (this is where the joke originally came from); integration of two worlds; and Twilight Princess.**

**Original Shouts: JadusTheDragonMaster,** **link, ****freecooper, ****Paul, ****EvanEssence, Terry, OdnetninAdlez, and The Pilot**

**New Shout Outs: Vivi3030, TellaStory, Shocktop, Riddle-me-this, and WhiteHero thanks reading and reviewing new readers.**

**Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012 ADDENDUM 1/3/2013- This chapter has the added element of Saria's POV, and a scene at Lon Lon Ranch that the first draft did not have, please enjoy. I got rid of the Shakespearean language. ~ZR~.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

_I see you…traitor._

Who can a person trust when everyone suddenly becomes a suspect?

_I see you…traitor._

I couldn't get that message out of my head.

_Who do you see assassin? _I pondered. _Who's the traitor?_

I spent the next _ten_ weeks tracking clues in the countryside and in the mountainous regions. Everything led to a dead end. The whole matter was unsettling. Two and a half months of searching, and it seemed as if this 'would be' assassin had vanished. There wasn't another letter. There wasn't another attack. There wasn't another _anything _that warranted anyone to believe that the killer was still around.

He just disappeared.

Even still, the words of the message echoed through my mind: _I see… you traitor._

_Who was that letter addressed too? _I thought. _Had a spy infiltrated the military? Were there some other factions involved? Why was whoever the killer was addressing considered a traitor?_

These questions were swirling through my mind, and driving me mad. I had no answers, and no way of getting any answers in my current manner of doing things. If I wanted to find the killer, and know if this threat were still tangible, I needed to revert back to my rogue way of working. Protocol and bureaucracy was getting in the way of getting the job done. The question was: how was I going to make that happen?

_I would seriously have to tread softly if I did anything remotely like that, _I thought.

When I was just the hero, I had to answer to no one other than myself. Now that I worked for the royal family, that wasn't a viable option. As a knight, I had to look at things from a non-prejudice, unbiased view point, and that was proving hard with all of Daphnes' secrets. Also, there was even the unthinkable to still consider regarding the letter. That message was shot into the _throne_ room, so it was intended for the royal family to find. The problem I was having was _which_ family member was supposed to find it. I had Daphnes pegged from the beginning, but I couldn't just completely disregard Zelda because I was engaged to her. That message may have been addressed to her. It all depended on the context of what this crazed lunatic considered betrayal. Assassins often had strange insights.

_That's why I need to find him and question him, _I thought.

I knew it was a far reaching premise, but I had to consider all alternatives. The royal family had a shoddy history at best. Who knew how many secret enemies they had; enemies that may have once been allies of the country. Whatever the case, there was something real out there and it was coming, I could feel it.

_The past always has a way of catching up to the present, _I thought.

I sent out platoons to patrol the surrounding areas under the guise of the threat of Ganondorf's return. If word got out that a new, slash old, threat was on the horizon, panic would spread throughout the land. I hated the fact I couldn't be completely honest with the citizens, but given the circumstances, I really had no choice. Even still, it made me feel like another underhanded politician.

_So, this is what it's like to be king of Hyrule,_ I thought of the unsavory feeling, _this feeling doesn't suit me… not at all._

I knew Zelda could sense a change in me too. She knew I was distant, even more so than I used to be. When I was with her it was still like we were apart. She would try to make casual conversation while we dined together, or whatever activity we were doing, and I found myself not paying attention. Also, two of the past ten weeks I hadn't seen her at all. I was preoccupied in some field assignments. Zelda pretended like it didn't bother her, but I knew it did, and I did feel guilty for not giving my all to her the way she deserved. I couldn't blame the letter and work completely on that. I admittedly had another woman on my mind: that pretty seamstress from Kakariko Village. I knew I was wrong for that, but it was the truth.

_It is what it is, _I thought.

I hadn't seen Saria in over two months, even though when I last saw her I promised her I'd be back in a few days. I was so busy with everything else I just didn't have the time for a visit. It didn't mean I didn't want to see her, and that I wasn't thinking about her though. I was thinking about her a lot, maybe even more than I should have been. Even still, she was probably glad I wasn't around to bother her. I could potentially cause her a great deal of problems if I saw her the way I wanted to.

_It's a good thing you've been busy Link, _I told myself.

Anyway, somehow through it all, I found that Saria was a solace for my troubled thoughts. I knew that Zelda should occupy that place in my mind, but for whatever reason she just wasn't. It didn't mean I didn't care about the princess, and it didn't mean that I didn't feel love for her. That wasn't the case, I cared about Zelda very much. However, when I simply wanted a thought without any compromise or drama, I thought of Saria. I didn't know why, I just did.

_Maybe it's because I think of her as a kind of kindred spirit, _I thought. _She was someone whom I could understand. She was an orphan like me, and she didn't garner any privileges in her simple life. _

A simple life.

I paused for a moment when that thought went through my head. If I were given the chance to do it all over again, I would have chosen to live a much more simple life, one without espionage and intrigue. It was much easier to go to sleep at night with a clean conscience, than with one riddled with secrets and lies.

_I feel like my concerns are going to spill out of my head onto my pillow, _I thought.

It seemed like a silly thought, but that was the truth. However, it shouldn't be mistaken that I didn't want to fight for Hyrule. That wasn't the case. I would always fight for Hyrule. It was just this life of secrets and lies was getting to me.

_It would get to anyone, _I thought.

Even still in the case of Saria, if the citizens knew what I was thinking they would consider my thoughts a betrayal to Zelda. However, I didn't see it that way. I wasn't outright pursuing this woman with any romantic intentions. Although, I wasn't going to lie, I was physically attracted to her, and I knew I needed to be careful of that. I simply saw her as an oasis from the deceptive world I was living in.

It was strange, because I didn't know why. I didn't know Saria that well. I didn't know very much about her. I didn't know where she was from, and I didn't know anything about her family or her life standings. In all honesty, there wasn't very much for me to draw on in terms of why I thought about her so much. Even still, I thought she was funny and beautiful. My goddess, she was beautiful. She was mysterious. She was comfortable. She was all these little things that painted a pleasant picture in my head.

_Tekkites eating raw meat, _I thought, shaking my head at the silly joke she had told me once before.

I smiled when I pondered over that. However, my smile slowly faded when I realized she was still just a girl, a girl in serious need of a friend. She had no one but the old man, and he was more of a father to her than anything. _And _there was also the issue of her lost memories. Saria had no recollection of her past and that was a shame, because _no one_ should _wander_ through life _wondering_ who they are.

_I want to see if I can help her, _I thought, _maybe if I take her some places throughout Hyrule it'll help trigger something in her mind._

I made a resolve and definitely wanted to do that for Saria when the time allotted for it. However, I still had my obligations to the other woman in my life. Zelda was planning our engagement party. It was coming up in two months, and I knew the princess was eager to have some alone time with me. Even though I was spending a great deal of time with her when I could, with the exception of these past two weeks, we were always under the watchful eye of a chaperone. I knew how much Zelda hated being chaperoned, especially at age twenty-five. Even still, I understood why it was necessary and it never bothered me, but I promised her tomorrow afternoon, just the two of us.

_I'll make sure nothing happens, _I thought with a grin.

I continued riding, and thought I saw a scout in my periphery following me on my left side. It turned out to be mostly my imagination, but not entirely. There were some riders out and about, but they weren't following me. They were heading in the opposite direction to Gerudo Valley, looking for who knows what. I hadn't given them orders to look for anything in the desert, and that's when I knew the king's watchful eye was getting evermore watchful.

_Daphnes… _I thought, but let my mind trail.

I noticed on a regular basis, guards being placed in areas where I hadn't ordered. The alleys were double booked. Scouting assignments were being handed out without my notice. Certain factions of the personal guard to the king, which I was head of, was being dispatched without my permission. It was blatant things like that that made my job harder to do. It was no matter though, I knew it was decreed by his majesty, and that was his right. Daphnes was the king after all, and I knew he didn't trust me.

_Why would a control freak trust someone they can't control? _I thought.

I was okay with Daphnes not trusting me, because I didn't trust him either.

_One day Daphnes your secrets are going to implode inside of you, _I thought, _I just hope you don't live to regret it._

All of my thoughts and introspection led me to Kakariko Village and the dress shop. I decided I would visit Saria and see how she was doing before I got back to my life of espionage. It was time for me to be fitted for my garments anyway. I had put it off long enough. I opened the door to the modest business and removed my characteristic green hat. I saw Saria standing behind the counter.

When she saw me she smiled, a big warm smile… seriously. I smiled back, relieved she was looking and feeling better.

"There you are," she said to me with a bright disposition.

I looked at her surprised.

_What in the-? _I cut my thoughts off.

"I was wondering when you were going to come back," she said to me.

I looked at her puzzled, and almost turned around to see if she was talking to the right individual.

"You were looking for me?" I asked.

Saria involuntarily blushed when I said that and shrugged.

"Yes and no," she began, "I wasn't really looking. I just remember you saying you were going to come back and see me a little while ago."

I was genuinely surprised she missed me.

_I guess maybe I should have kept that promise, _I thought, _but after the way we interacted last time, I hardly expected a reaction like this._

"I'm sorry," I said sincere, "I had some business to attend to. I've been very busy over these last couple months."

She fanned off my reply with a gesture of her hand, and shook her head.

"That's alright," Saria said, "I can understand that, I know you've been busy. At first, I thought maybe you found another seamstress," she divulged. "I was thinking 'oh no I lost one!'"

I grinned at her explanation. I was glad she was back to her old self. I liked that funny lady I first met. Saria then came from around the counter, and I noticed she was walking much better.

_That healed nicely, _I thought.

"Your leg looks much better," I stated.

"Yes," she replied with a smile, "I just needed to be off of it for a little while. Gramps actually made me close up shop for three weeks."

The bazaar owner looked up from his book just then.

"And it's a good thing too!" the elderly gentleman segued. "Imagine trying to work with a swollen ankle."

_Oh, I can imagine, _I thought, _I've actually done it._

I grinned over at the bazaar owner, when surprisingly Saria came up to me, untied my cloak, and tried removing it for me. Her fingers brushed against my neck, but that didn't deter her from trying to help me.

"You look so uncomfortable with those heavy wears on," she said.

I raised my eyebrows slightly at her forward action, and intercepted her from taking it off.

"I've got it," I replied, "thank you though."

Saria drew back only a little at my words. She stared into my eyes a little longer than I think even she intended to.

"Oh... okay," she replied, "sorry."

I grinned.

"There's no need to apologize," I replied, "I appreciate you trying to help."

_Is this the same girl I left a couple months ago?_ I wondered, trying to figure out what had gotten into her.

Saria clasped her hands together and raised her eyebrows.

"Shall I get you fitted?" she asked me softly.

I nodded my reply, not meaning to be, but was a little alerted to her sudden friendly manner.

_Maybe she's always this way and it's just me, _I thought, _she was very kind to me the first time I met her._

I left it to that, and tried to let the matter go.

"So," she said to me, pulling out a measuring tape, "are you excited about the big day?"

I shrugged, trying not to be too nonchalant about it. I remember what that afforded me last time.

_No repeats Link, _I thought.

"I guess so," I replied.

Saria gave me a funny look as she wrapped the measurement around my waist.

"You guess so?" she repeated, and then marked the thirty-two inch measurement down on a piece of paper.

"Yeah," I said, "I just want it to come and get it over with."

Saria scoffed.

"Well, you're a killjoy," she said of my lack of enthusiasm, "spread your arms out for me please."

I did as I was told and she measured my wingspan: six feet eight inches.

_I did say that with a pretty dry undertone, _I thought.

"It's not that I'm not excited," I said, trying to save some grace, "it's just very stressful."

Saria nodded, but was preoccupied.

"Wow, you're tall;" she said to herself, and then directed to me, "that's strange coming from a man. I usually hear things like that from the bride."

I guess maybe it was, but I had my reasons.

"You don't have a king as a soon to be father in law," I added.

Saria smiled at my recourse.

"That's true, but you'll do fine," she said, "you're already showing your capabilities by being an excellent knight."

I smiled genuinely at her sense of confidence in me.

_It's nice that she's so thoughtful, _I pondered, _she really tries to put her customers at ease._

"That's very considerate of you," I said to her, and then dropped my voice a little, "thank you."

I suppose my tone caught her off guard, because she blushed again. She paused for a moment and smiled up at me, her fingers stroked subtly over the front of my tunic, but she caught herself and pulled her hand away.

"You're welcome," she replied.

We fell silent for a few moments. Saria cleared her throat, and continued with her measurements.

_Why are we having such a hard time communicating after our initial contact? _I wondered. _These past two months couldn't have put this much of a strain between us._

Saria seemed in tandem with my thoughts because she finally broke the silence.

"I... uh I wanted to thank you for what you did for me over a couple months ago," Saria said to me, not looking at my face now. "If you hadn't been there when those thieves showed up, I don't know what would have happened."

I smiled at her again.

"You're welcome, and don't worry about it," I said, "thanks for not freaking out about me following you."

Saria laughed lightly at my comment. She had deep throaty laugh. I merely grinned and we became silent again so Saria could finish all of my measurements. I didn't understand why, but a nervous anticipation came over me just then.

_What's this all about? _I wondered of the feeling.

I looked at Saria's concentrated face and furrowed brow, and knew she was trying make sure all her numbers were just right. I was glad she took her job serious, however, that wasn't what was making me so eager.

_I wonder if the decree for the ceremony was for everyone, _I thought, _if not, I'd like to invite her. _

"Are… are you going to come to my wedding Ms. Saria?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Saria looked up at me surprised.

"I'm sorry?" she inquired.

I looked into her eyes for a moment.

_I guess I did ask that out of the blue, _I thought.

"Are you coming to my wedding?" I asked again. "I would really like for you to be there."

Saria's eyes widened slightly.

"You want me to come to your wedding Sir Link?" she reiterated making sure she heard me right.

I nodded.

Saria hesitated for a moment.

"Isn't it invitation only?" she asked.

I shrugged at that.

"I can get you the stationery if you want me to make it official," I said.

The surprise in her eyes never went away. She looked over at the bazaar owner then back to me.

"I... don't know what to say," she replied.

I chuckled at her.

"Say you'll come," I replied, "you can pretend to be a noble from a far off country."

That garnered another smile from her, but she shook her head.

"I'm…" she started, "I'm just a peasant girl Sir Link. _No one _would ever believe I was a noble, I have no business around royalty."

My own smile faded for a moment, and I stared into her eyes. Her words affected me in a very abrupt way. I hated the thought of a friend of mine feeling out of place because of silly class distinctions. It made me think if my own parents were alive would they feel the same way. The emotion I felt was even sharper and more poignant than even _I_ was expecting, and it must have showed.

"You're not _just_ a peasant girl," I said to her, "you're _my_ friend."

Saria looked at me surprised, then took a step back and looked to the floor.

"Sir Link..." she trailed, not finishing.

I raised my eyebrows at her nonexistent reply.

_Am I thinking too much into this? _I thought. _Do I have the wrong idea?_

"You _are_ my friend aren't you?" I asked, not wanting to assume anything.

Saria's face turned crimson, and she still wouldn't look at me, however, she nodded.

"Yes," she replied, "I... I suppose I am."

My expression softened a little.

"Well, then you have to come to my wedding," I insisted.

Saria fell quiet for a moment, then grinned at me as if she rationalized the quandary in her head.

"I... I would love to come to your wedding Sir Link," she said to me finally. "I bet it'll be fantastic."

I nodded.

"It will be," I replied.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye the bazaar owner eavesdropping on our conversation. The elderly man had been eyeing us with open suspicion since our conversation began.

_If I were anybody else he wouldn't care, _I assumed, then suddenly an idea came to mind. _Wait a minute... maybe I could..._

It was about midmorning, and the rest of the day was pretty much free for me since I finished all of my patrolling duties early. I hadn't told Zelda about that because I wanted to have an evening alone for myself. However, I now saw that I could take this free time and possibly seize a rare opportunity.

_Maybe I can help Saria with her memories, _I thought, _maybe if she has a guide to certain places something will click._

"How many more appointments do you have today?" I asked Saria all of a sudden.

She gave me a thoughtful look just then.

"None," she said, "just you, I was going to do some marketing today... why?"

_Perfect,_ I thought.

"Good," I said, "I want you to close up after we're done here, so I can take you some place special."

Saria's eyes widened and she looked at me surprised. She turned to look at the bazaar owner who was still staring at the both of us. I honestly didn't care. This wasn't what he was thinking.

_All I want to do is help her sir, _I thought of the gentleman's concern, _that's all._

"Uh…" she trailed, trying to decide if she should say yes or not, "I really can't, I need the money."

I shrugged and looked at her undeterred. I opened my satchel and pulled out my giant wallet, in it I took out a thousand rupees and put it on her counter.

"There," I said with finality, wanting no other excuses, "that should cover my fee and what you were anticipating throughout the day, right?" I asked.

Saria looked at me shocked.

"A thousand rupees?" Saria said to me in disbelief. "That's-that's way too much!"

I looked at her determined.

"Are we on?" I asked.

Saria looked back to the counter at the money, and then back to me.

"Uh…" she trailed, trying to figure out what she should do, she looked back over at the bazaar owner, "gramps?"

The elderly gentleman looked between the two of us carefully, and seemed to casually shrug. However, I saw the unease in his eyes.

"It's not my decision Saria," he said to her, "it's yours."

Saria turned back to me and bit her lower lip. She was quiet for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"…Okay," she replied quietly, "I'll go."

I felt my face break into a smile.

"Really?" I said surprised, expecting her to refuse.

She nodded.

"Really," she replied and smiled back.

My smile broadened.

"Great," I said, "I just need to square away a few things, and I'll be back for you in an hour."

Saria nodded again.

"Okay," she said quietly.

I headed for the door, but she stopped me for a moment.

"Sir Link…" she called to me softly.

I paused thinking she was going to change her mind.

_Here it comes, _I thought.

"Yes?" I asked, not turning around.

Saria paused before she asked her question.

"Why… why do you want to take me wherever it is you want to take me?" she asked me.

I turned to look at her just then.

"I recall you saying something about not remembering where you were from," I stated, "I want to help you get your memories back, and I think I know a good place to start." She characteristically blushed at my comment, I grinned and added, "I've never seen a woman blush so much before in my life."

Saria raised her hands to her cheeks to try and downplay the color.

"I know, it's so embarrassing," she replied, but then added, "…and thank you. Thank you for wanting to help me."

I stared into her eyes just then.

_I'm selfishly doing this for my own sake too, _I thought.

"You're welcome," I said, then opened the door, "I'll see you in an hour."

I turned to nod at the bazaar shop owner, he merely nodded back with a very familiar expression of confusion on his face.

I then left.

~SSS~

Saria's POV

_Well, that was interesting,_ I thought,_ I'm so glad he finally showed back up, but I wasn't expecting any of that. He wants to help me with my memories? __I didn't think he was coming back._

I watched as the door closed behind Sir Link and smiled. I then glanced over at gramps who was looking at me with a raised brow. I sighed, knowing he probably didn't approve of what just took place.

_What now? _I thought, already knowing the answer.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

Gramps looked to the door then to me again.

"You know very well what the matter is Saria," he accused.

I pursed my lips together, not in the mood to be lectured, but knew it was coming.

"Enlighten me gramps," I said.

He shook his head just then.

"Are you sure you should be gallivanting with that young fellow?" he asked. "Don't you think that would look... odd?"

I groaned and looked away from my friend, not wanting to see his reasoning, but I knew he had a point.

_That isn't the best situation for me to be in, _I thought, _especially when I know he's well known throughout the land._

I tried to segue anyway.

"You heard our conversation," I said, "he just wants to help me."

Gramps took in a deep breath and shook his head again.

"Saria you know as well as I do, there's more to it than that," he stated, "I've seen you watch that door in anticipation for that young man's return for weeks now. Every time someone new came in, you would be disappointed. I just don't want you to set yourself up for heartache."

I thought he was reading too much into this.

_He's just a friend, _I thought, _that's all._

"I'm not setting myself up for heartache," I insisted, "he said it himself, he just wants to help me. He has no other intentions than that. He wouldn't talk about his fiance if he were ashamed of her, or wanted something else from me. You're worrying for nothing gramps."

My old friend looked at me with open cynicism.

"Saria," he said, "I don't think you should go," he said outright. "You've only met him a few times. You don't know anything about him."

I put my hands on my hips when he said that. I felt like now he was beginning to treat me like a child. There was no need for that. I was a good judge of character.

_I'm not going to run away and elope with him, _I thought.

"He saved my life gramps," I divulged, "and that isn't true, I _do_ know some things about him. He's a knight, he's engaged, and he's a nice, serious person. He hardly seems like the type of man to play around with a girl he doesn't know."

The old man shook his head again.

"I'm not saying he isn't a nice young man," he stated, "on the contrary, he seems like a wonderful catch for any young lady. And if he weren't engaged, I would actively encourage a courtship between the two of you. However, I don't think it's wise for two people to go anywhere alone who are obviously attracted to each other."

I blushed when he said that.

"Gramps-" I tried.

"Don't deny it Saria," he interrupted, "you like that young man, more than you're letting on, but my dear you have to think about your reputation. You're a single woman with no ties to anyone in Hyrule. You're one of the prettiest creatures to grace this dreary little mountain village since who knows when, and you live amongst fickle people who would turn on you in a heartbeat. If you go with that knight, there's no telling what they would say about you."

I sighed and bit my lower lip.

_He does have a point, _I thought, _but if Sir Link can help me get my memories back then I think it's worth the risk._

Gramps saw the look on my face and was encouraged by it, thinking I was seeing things his way.

"And then there was that display with the money," he went on, "does he think he can buy you because you're a simple girl? You are worth more than a thousand rupees!"

Now, I thought he was taking it too far. Link wasn't propositioning me with that money. I honestly thought it was a gesture of goodwill. I knew gramps had his worries, but I didn't think they were warranted in the instance of Sir Link. I didn't know why, but I felt like I could trust him completely, even with the little time I'd known him.

_I wonder why that is, _I thought.

I walked over to gramps's counter and gave him a hug.

"I'm so glad you worry about me," I said in his ear, "but I think you're worrying too much in this case. He only wants to help me, that's it."

Gramps shook his head.

"Saria-" he tried.

_Reassure him Saria, _I thought.

"I'll be back before it gets late," I promised, "that way you won't have to worry."

He was silent for a moment and sighed, then shook his head.

"You're so stubborn," he said.

I smiled when he said that, and pulled back to look at him.

"I can't help it," I said, "I get that from you."

That got a reluctant smile from him.

"Curse me for being so concerned over you child," he said.

I chuckled when he said that.

"I wouldn't want you to be cursed gramps," I said, "what would I do without you?"

He pat my hand when I said that.

"Alright, you win," he said, "just be careful, okay?"

I reached up and caressed his worried, weathered cheek.

"I will," I said, "thanks for caring so much."

With that, I hurried to change. Link was going to be back in an hour.

_I don't want to keep him waiting, _I thought.

~SSS~

Castle Town: Link's POV

I rode Epona back to Hyrule Castle Town and hurried to my villa. I went in and retrieved an old map of Kokiri Forest. I always kept it, knowing it would be of some use to me some day. I tried leaving my home without being noticed, but unfortunately two guards caught sight of me and approached me.

"Sir Link?" one of them called.

I tried to avoid making eye contact and started for the draw bridge.

"Sir Link?" the soldier called again.

_Damn, _I thought with slight frustration, and stopped in my tracks.

"Yes?" I replied finally, and turned to face them.

The two men hesitated for a moment because of my manner. I tried not to let my irritation show, but apparently that wasn't working.

"Sir, the princess is looking for you," the other divulged.

_Now? _I thought.

I groaned.

"What does she want?" I snapped.

Both guards looked at me surprised and weren't sure if they should answer.

"Um-I'm afraid we don't know sir," the other said, "we were just told to let you know when we saw you."

I ran a hand through my hair irritably, and started for the castle.

"Thanks," I muttered as I walked by.

I saw out of the corner of my eye the bewildered look on the guards faces. I hurried through the castle gates and into the garden where I knew Zelda would be. She turned when she saw me approach, she had a relieved expression on her face. I bowed mechanically, wanting to hurry through the pleasantries.

_Saria's waiting for me, _I thought with impatience.

"Good morning Link," Zelda said to me quietly.

"Good morning," I replied.

She pointed to a table and I went to have a seat. I sighed a little out of frustration, hoping this wouldn't take long.

_What is it now? _I wondered.

Zelda took note of the expression on my face.

"Is everything okay?" she asked me sitting down.

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"No," I replied, trying not to make my tone too short with her.

Zelda stared at me for a long moment. She knew there was something not right with me. She was also well aware I didn't like being called out of service impromptu like this.

"What's the matter?" she asked me.

_What's the matter? _I wondered aggravated.

I groaned.

"I'm trying to protect the country, my love," I replied in a snide fashion.

Zelda looked at me for a long moment, as if absorbing my rude tone. It wasn't necessary for me to be so incensed with her, she didn't deserve that.

"Link, please tell me what's going on with you," she asked me gently, "you seem so distracted these days."

I cleared my throat.

_That's an understatement, _I thought.

"It's not you," I replied, "I'm just… I'm just busy."

She stared at me again.

"Busy?" she inquired with a hint of disbelief.

I raised an eyebrow at her questioning me.

"Yes," I replied, "busy," I repeated. "You know… patrolling the kingdom, making sure no one gets assassinated, things like that."

I knew she would catch the hint of sarcasm in my voice.

_Why am I doing this? _I thought. _It's only going to make the situation worse._

"Oh really?" Zelda replied to me quietly. "Is that _all_ that's occupying your time? There's nothing _else_ you care to share?"

There was a hint of knowing in her tone. I paused and looked at her suspiciously for a moment.

_What does she mean by that?_ I thought. _What's she getting at?_

"No," I said, "why?"

Zelda looked away, and I saw tears forming in her eyes.

"No reason," she said quietly.

Now she had my full, undivided attention. I reached across the table, and took her hand into mine and squeezed it.

"Zelda," I said, "what's the matter?"

She wiped her eyes and squeezed my hand back.

"Do you love me Link?" she asked me all of a sudden, her voice was trembling.

I sat back in my chair, a little on edge.

_Oh boy,_ I thought,_ where is this coming from?_ _Why now?_

"Yes Zelda, I love you," I said honest.

I didn't feel like I was lying to myself, I did love her. I watched Zelda close her eyes and sigh in relief. She then took my hand and pressed her lips against my knuckles.

"Thank you for telling me," she whispered, "I just needed to hear it from you. I felt like I haven't heard that from you in forever."

I squeezed her hand again.

_She must be feeling terribly lonely right now, _I thought, _I haven't spent any real time with her in over two weeks._

"I haven't been very attentive towards you lately, have I?" I divulged.

Zelda shook her head no.

"But I understand," she added quickly, "I know you've got many things on your mind."

I raised my brows and sighed.

"That's no excuse," I said to her, feeling guilty, "I should always make time for you."

She took in a deep breath, almost as if I had liberated her doubts by saying that. She smiled at me and held my hand to her face.

"I do love you so Link," she said to me, kissing my knuckles again, "if only… if only I could show you."

I paused for a moment. I raised my eyebrows at her suggestive proposal and gave her an obvious stare.

_Wait a minute... _I trailed my recourse.

"You have been," I said, wanting to get her mind on other things. "You're supportive and you're caring. I wouldn't know how to deal with the king without you."

She grinned and looked deeply into my eyes.

"That's sweet Link, but you _know _what I mean," she whispered suddenly.

I swallowed hard.

_Oh goddesses, _I thought, _and she wonders why her father wants us chaperoned. If it were up to her, there would be another Link or Zelda running around the castle already, married or not._

I wish I could say I was exaggerating, but I have been alone enough with this woman to know she could be very rambunctious... very.

"Yes, I'm afraid I do," I replied, trying to reason with her, "and we'll be married soon enough."

Zelda looked down and caressed my hand with her thumb.

"I don't want to wait that long," she divulged.

_I'm afraid you're going to have to, _I thought.

"Zelda-" I tried.

"Father's not here," she interrupted me, staring into my eyes, "I've sent my servants on a task. It's just you and me. We're completely alone."

I narrowed my eyes slightly when she said that.

"His majesty is gone?" I asked, detracting the subject.

"Yes," Zelda replied with a nod.

I sat back in my chair, looking a little unsettled with that fact.

_Where in the world did the king go off to?_ I wondered, unintentionally sidetracking.

"Did he say where he'd gone?" I asked.

Zelda shook her head no.

_Why in the world would he take off now? _I wondered._ And_ _with a killer after him?_

I was lost in my thoughts, when Zelda got up from her seat and walked over to me, reminding me of why she called me there. She stroked her fingers through my hair when she sat down on my lap. She then leaned over and kissed me. It was a soft, sweet kiss. I was working hard to keep it that way.

_She just needs some attention Link, _I told myself, _don't let this get out of hand._

When the kiss got a little deeper, I had to pull away. Zelda tried to resume it, but I stopped her.

"Oh, come on Link," she said in a low voice, "stop being so chivalrous all the time."

I grinned at her saying that. I knew why she was so enamored with the idea of wanting to make love to me. A few summers ago we got a little too caught up in one of our intimate moments, but I stopped it from going any further. Needless to say, I left one hell of an impression with how far I went with her. I was always a man in control. That summer day was the first time Zelda had ever seen me almost out of control.

_I can't let that happen again, _I thought, _if Daphnes had any idea I almost deflowered his virgin daughter, he would have my head... and I'm not talking about the one on my neck._

"Zelda…" I said, having to exercise serious self control, "think about what you're asking me."

She stroked my hair again, and stared into my eyes.

"I have thought about it," she whispered, and kissed me again, "and I want to play with _your _Master Sword."

My eyes widened slightly at hearing that.

_Did she really just say that?_ I thought in disbelief._ There's a naughty little girl under all that pristine beauty. _

I kissed her back just then, and a little deeper than I was intending to. However, I pulled away once more before I had... an accident. There was only so much will power I had.

_I have to stop this, _I thought.

"I can't," I whispered, trying to maintain some self-control.

Zelda was goading me with her those beautiful eyes of hers.

"Yes, you can," she replied, not letting up on me, "you're the Hero of Time you can do _whatever_ you want."

I stared into her eyes and pondered over my moral dilemma.

_Link, _I told myself, _you don't want to do this, and forever have that kind of guilt hanging over your head. She's the princess, and her honor is not something to be taken lightly._

I shook my head.

"I can't Zelda," I repeated.

She smiled, thinking I was playing with her.

"Yes, you can," she whispered, "I told you no one is here."

The princess leaned forward and kissed me again, and I was almost tempted to give in. I kissed her deep when the smell of her lavender scented hair brushed across my face. I held her tight around the waist and close to me. However, I knew things were getting out of control when she started undoing her corset. I immediately pulled back and stared into her eyes.

"Zelda, we're outside," I whispered, trying to reason with her.

"Then let's go inside," she replied, "I told you no one is here."

I shook my head no.

"I can't," I said.

"Link-" she tried.

"I-I can't," I interrupted with finality and stood up.

Zelda slipped from my lap, but I caught her before she fell. We were silent for a brief moment, and she looked at me shocked. I looked away from her eyes. I knew she was upset.

_I should've handled that better,_ I thought.

"I'm sorry," I said finally.

Zelda's mouth was agape. She was looking at me like I was insane.

"You-you can't be serious," she said to me in disbelief.

I didn't want to hurt her, but I knew this was the right thing to do.

"I am serious," I replied.

Her throat tightened.

"Link-" she tried.

"I will not take you dishonorably!" I interrupted. "You deserve better than that."

Zelda looked at me with widened eyes, which immediately filled with tears. She couldn't believe I was rejecting her.

"Is… is there someone else?" she asked me.

I looked at her surprised.

_What? _I thought.

"No," I insisted.

The princess took a step towards me and narrowed her blue eyes.

"Don't lie to me Link!" Zelda said in a tone I've never heard before.

I looked at her surprised, but my surprise soon turned to anger.

"I don't have to lie to you!" I replied. "There is no one else!"

"Then why are you-" she tried.

"There is no one else!" I interrupted for the last time. "Plain and simple, now drop it!"

Zelda stood there frozen for a moment. I was taking a huge gamble speaking with her that way. I had no right addressing a princess of Hyrule in such a fashion. My anger got the better of me, but that still was no excuse. The princess was too stunned to say anything in retaliation to that in that moment. She pursed her lips together to keep them from trembling, and turned herself away from me and wept bitterly. I stood there feeling guilty, knowing the only reason she was propositioning me like this was because she felt like she had too.

There was an uncomfortable silence between us.

_Apologize Link, _I thought.

I came up to Zelda and took her in my arms and held her close to me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered in her hair, "I didn't mean to raise my voice."

Zelda sniffled and remained quiet. She rested her head on my chest. I stroked my hand over her hair and sighed.

"I promise tomorrow I'm all yours, okay," I reassured her, "I'm just busy right now."

Zelda nodded and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry too," she replied softly, "I don't know what got into me just then."

I squeezed her affectionately with my hug.

"I know what got into you," I whispered in her ear, "it's called being Hylian."

I felt her body tremble at my voice. Zelda looked into my eyes and reached up to kiss me again. When she pulled away she stared into my eyes.

"You shouldn't whisper in my ear like that," she whispered, "it gets me going."

I smirked.

_Oh really? _I thought.

"I'll have to remember that for the future," I replied.

I kissed her again, then let her go. Zelda put a smile on her beautiful face, and all was well. The princess was happy again.

I stepped back and bowed.

"I have to go," I said gently, "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright," Zelda replied, "remember, you're all mine."

~SSS~

An Hour Later

I arrived back at Kakariko Village and saw Saria waiting for me outside her shop. However, before I could greet her, the bazaar shop owner waved for me to come see him. I looked at Saria puzzled, and she merely shrugged at me.

_What now? _I wondered.

"I'll be right back," I said to her as I passed her up to go into the store.

Once inside, I closed the door behind me, and turned to see the elderly gentleman looking at his accounting records. I approached respectfully and removed my hood. It was several minutes before he spoke.

_O…kay, _I thought, getting slightly annoyed, _does he want to talk or doesn't he?_

The silence between us lasted for a few more moments, until finally the old man broke it.

"Don't play with her heart son," he said out of nowhere.

I looked at him surprised just then.

_What is he talking about? _I thought.

"I'm sorry?" I said confused.

The shop keeper closed his book and looked up at me.

"Don't play with that young girl's heart," he repeated.

I swallowed hard when I saw the determination in his eyes.

"I have no intention of doing that sir," I replied honestly.

The shopkeeper looked at me audacious.

"She's just a simple girl, blessed with a much too beautiful face," he said to me, "and here you are this big, handsome, strong, strapping knight coming into her life making her feel things that only exist in story books."

I was slightly offended by that.

"But I-" I tried.

"If you want to be her friend," he interrupted me, "be her friend. She is _not_ however, some cheap thrill for you to play with because you're bored with the princess."

I got heated at that comment.

_No one is going to accuse me of using anyone, _I thought, _no one!_

"I have no intention-" I tried again.

"Don't intend," he interrupted me again, "just don't do it. She's a sweet girl, and I love her like she's my granddaughter. I'm not going to allow you to hurt her son."

I swallowed hard again.

"I-I wouldn't do that," I said honest, "I-"

"Just don't do it," the shopkeeper interrupted me once more, "now get out of my store, she's waiting for you."

I stood there, looking at him shocked, not knowing how to reply, or even if I should reply. I always considered my intentions noble, but was I being clouded by something else?

_I don't want to use her... _I thought, _do I?_

I shook my head of the thought, and nodded respectfully to the elderly bazaar owner and then exited. Outside, I took in a deep frustrated breath.

_Everybody's on my goddamn case today, _I thought in irritation.

Saria caught the look on my face and raised her eyebrows as I came downstairs.

"Are you okay?" she asked me.

I avoided her eyes.

"I'm fine," I muttered, "let's go."

I took hold of Saria's hand and headed for the exit. I guess I wasn't aware of my strength, because I yanked on her poor arm at the initial tug. As we walked through town, we did turn heads unfortunately. I was hoping my hooded appearance was enough to deter some of the stares.

_Why is the inherent disposition of Hylian nature to be nosy? _I wondered upset.

I was glad when we finally reached the stairs exiting the village. I was sure everyone was wondering why _we_ were going off together. In any such case, I didn't have time to worry about that. I had a very short window of opportunity. I helped Saria on Epona and that was when I noticed her appearance. She had changed from the dress she was wearing in the morning to some black travel pants with a matching shirt, and green boots. It certainly flattered her slender curvaceous body. She also had a satchel swung around both shoulders and a green headdress that allowed only her pretty face to be seen.

_It looks like this lady has traveled before, _I thought, noticing the hunting dagger in her boot.

"You hunt?" I asked.

She smirked at my question.

"Only when I need to," she said simply.

It was an unorthodox reply, but I took it for what it was.

Saria looked at me with a thoughtful expression just then.

"You seem cross," she said,"what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I replied.

Saria looked back over her shoulder to the Kakariko entrance.

"What did you and gramps talk about?" she asked me.

I was tightening my saddle on Epona, making sure it was secure for two riders.

"He told me to be really nice to you," I said dry in a sarcastic manner.

Saria smirked again.

"So, why are you so upset?" she asked. "You don't want to be nice to me?"

I looked up at her, the comment did put a grin on my face. She stared into my eyes and nodded.

"That's better," she said, staring deeply into my eyes, "try not to be so serious all the time Mr. Killjoy."

_She's certainly... different today, _I thought.

I looked up at the forecasted sky, and noticed she didn't bring a cloak with her.

"It might rain," I said, "you sure you don't want to bring something to cover with?"

Her smirk widened to a smile.

"You don't want to share your cloak with me sir knight?" she asked me flirtatiously.

My eyes widened, and I looked at her surprised.

_Oh boy, _I thought.

"It-it's not that-" I began with a stutter.

Saria put a finger to my lips silencing me.

"Relax," she interrupted in a calm manner, "it was a joke."

I looked her up and down.

_Some joke, _I thought when she pulled her finger away.

Saria looked around and swung her feet lightly on the mare.

"So... where are we going?" she asked me as I mounted.

I paused and smiled.

"I hear you like horses," I said.

Saria gave me a perplexed looked.

"Who'd you hear that from?" she asked.

I looked on ahead at the middle of Hyrule Field to Lon Lon Ranch.

"Why don't I get you reacquainted?" I said, not giving anything away and giddied Epona.

Saria held on tight, and we headed to Lon Lon Ranch.

~SSS~

Lon Lon Ranch: Saria's POV

When we approached the impasse leading up to the main entrance, Sir Link and I dismounted. The ranch was a commodious open area, with horses trotting within an outside bin. Adjacent to the entrance on the right of walking in was a medium sized stable that housed cows and horses. To the left was a three story home that looked like it doubled as an inn.

_This is nice, _I thought, looking around.

Sir Link went on ahead and started walking in. I followed after him, not sure why we were there. A few moments later, we were suddenly greeted by the door opening and a pretty redhead showing her face. She waved at the knight.

"Howdy grasshopper," she greeted.

I looked over at Link and chuckled at hearing that.

_Grasshopper? _I thought. _That does seem fitting with all the green he wears. _

Sir Link smiled at the lady and shook his head.

"Howdy Malon," he greeted back.

_Malon, _I thought, _that's her name. _

Malon walked out of the house and came to stand in front of us. It was then that she noticed me.

"Hi there," she said, "how are you?"

I liked her sunny disposition, she seemed very friendly.

_She's very nice, _I thought.

"I'm fine, and you?" I replied.

She studied my face for a moment, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I remember your face," she said, trying to recall, "you'll have to forgive me, I forgot your name."

I smiled.

"That's alright," I said, "it was a while ago and I never gave it. My name is Saria, I was looking at that beautiful Gerudo stallion you were showcasing."

Malon nodded.

"That's right," she said, then looked over at Link, "it looks like your stalker found you as well."

I was puzzled by what she meant at first, but then remembered again back to that day. Sir Link looked embarrassed at her saying that.

"Malon..." he trailed.

She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Lighten up sir knight," she said, "it was a joke."

I giggled again.

_I think I like this lady, _I thought.

"I was just telling him earlier that he looked cross," I divulged.

The knight turned and looked at me surprised.

"Ms. Saria..." he trailed at me this time.

Malon glanced at me and smiled once more.

"It's true," she agreed, "he needs to get his happy back."

I nodded in agreement.

"When did he lose it?" I joked.

Malon pretended to think about the inquiry.

"Years ago," she divulged.

She and I both laughed at that. However, Sir Link closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"I can't win against two women," he stated.

Malon and I laughed again, and she looked between the two of us.

"No," she said, "but seriously, what brings you two here today?"

I looked over at Sir Link waiting for his explanation.

_Why did he bring me here today? _I wondered.

~SSS~

Link's POV

I looked past Malon to the horse in the bin in the distance.

"Do you still have that Gerudo stallion you two were talking about before?" I asked my friend.

Malon nodded, then grinned at me. "I sure do," she said, "do you want to take him for a ride?"

I shook my head, then nodded towards Saria.

"I don't," I said, "but she might."

Saria looked at me surprised. "What?"

I turned to look at her.

"You wanted to ride a stallion, didn't you?" I asked.

Saria was slow to answer. "Yes, I did," she replied, "but why would I do that now?"

I grinned.

"You seemed like you were really interested in that horse when you first saw it," I said, "maybe riding it will help trigger something."

Malon looked between the two of us perplexed and raised a brow just then.

"Trigger something?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

I was going to reply, but Saria quickly intercepted.

"Nothing!" she said, not meaning for her voice to be so sharp.

Malon and I looked at her surprised, but then I realized why she reacted that way.

_Link you idiot, _I thought, _how could you be so careless, and almost give this woman's secret away? You have to know she doesn't want others to know she has amnesia._

"It's nothing," Saria repeated, and forced a smile across her face, "I'm sorry I raised my voice."

Malon stared at her for a moment, but then shrugged. "It's alright," she said, "I'm sorry if you thought I was prying." She started walking towards the main area of the ranch, and gestured for us to follow. "If you want to see the horse he's over here."

_Good save Malon, _I thought and folllowed in step behind her.

Saria bit her lower lip, but then hurried to catch up with her. Malon opened the fence to the bin and we all went inside. Stationed in the center of the area was a beautiful, black Gerudo stallion. The horse stood tall and erect. He certainly was a beauty.

_This guy might even give Epona a run for her rupee, _I thought.

Malon turned and looked at Saria. "Would like to give him a ride?" she asked. "He's tame, but he can still be quite a hand full."

Saria was patting the horse's snout. "You know what," she started, "now that I do have a better look at him I would like to take him for a spin."

Malon grinned. "Great," she said, "let me saddle him up."

However, the seamstress stopped her. "That won't be necessary," she said, and then with an incredible display of strength, mounted the steed bareback, "I'm fine."

I raised my eyebrows and looked at her mildly stunned.

_She's riding a Gerudo stallion bareback? _I thought in disbelief.

Saria took the reigns and trotted outside the bin to the perimeter to circle the track. Malon looked over at me with a dumbfounded expression. I had no explanation for her.

"Where did you find this woman again?" she asked me.

I shook my head, watching Saria ride around the track.

"I'm just as surprised as you are," I stated, "she's a seamstress by trade."

Malon gave me a funny look when I revealed that.

"A seamstress?" she repeated. "Since when do seamstresses carry knives in their boots and ride horses bareback?"

_So, she saw that too, _I thought regarding the knife.

Malon did have a point. It seemed strange that a woman whose occupation was to sew, also hunted and took part in equestrian activities.

_Maybe it has something to do with her past, _I thought, _maybe she did something with horse training before she became a seamstress. _

"I have no idea," I replied to my friend, "you know what they say though, life brings about strange bedfellows."

Malon looked back out at Saria, who was circling the track for a second time.

"Right," she said with a hint of cynicism, then directed her attention back to me, "speaking of bedfellows... is everything alright with a certain royal princess?"

I had a feeling she was going to bring Zelda up.

_Here we go, _I thought.

"Everything's fine," I replied, still watching Saria.

Malon knew that I was avoiding her eyes.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I took in a deep breath, not wanting to go in circles about the topic.

"Just say what you mean Malon," I said, "you've never been the type to walk around things."

Malon sighed at my words, then pursed her lips together.

"It just seems kind of strange that you all of a sudden drop by with a... new friend," she said. "You and Zelda have been exclusive for years. It just seems out of the ordinary that you would go anywhere with another female."

I understood her conjecture, and from the outside looking in, it did seem odd. However, it wasn't the least bit strange to me.

_I have a strong feeling about this woman, _I thought, _she reminds me of someone very dear to me, and I have to know if there's some kind of connection. _

"It isn't what you're thinking Malon," I said finally.

She raised an eyebrow at that, not fully convinced.

"What am I thinking _Sir _Link?" she challenged.

I finally looked at her and gave her a curt gaze.

"_Something _that isn't the case," I said, not bothering to elaborate, "she's just a friend."

Malon narrowed her eyes slightly, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You mean like you and me?" she asked. "The way _we _used to be just friends?"

I knew she meant more than she was letting on. There was a time in the past that Malon showed a romantic interest in me, and we did share a few 'friendlier than friends should be' moments. However, I never reciprocated her feelings because I was too dense to recognize it. That, and I was beginning to court Zelda at the time. Malon pretended to be casual about it, but I knew she cared more than she was letting on.

"I'm sorry Malon," I said, hoping she would get the subliminal message.

Malon turned away a moment and shrugged.

"It isn't a big deal Link," she said, "I'm getting married later this year to Stephen anyway."

Stephen was a long time beau of Malon's. He was a nice, handsome fellow, and he just had a big house built in one of the provinces of Eldin.

"How is Stephen?" I asked, changing the subject.

Malon smiled.

"He's wonderful," she said, "as always."

I nodded in approval.

"You know I'll take care of him if he doesn't treat you right," I said humorous.

Malon laughed.

"You won't have to worry about that grasshopper," she said, "Stephen is just what I want."

I was glad to hear that. Malon deserved a good guy, after the issues with Ingo and losing her father earlier in the year, she needed some solace.

_It's been a rough time for her, _I thought, _but she keeps on going. _

Just then, Saria came trotting back to the center of the bin where Malon and I were.

"That was fantastic!" the seamstress announced. "I could ride this horse for hours."

Malon and I both smiled up at her.

"You probably could," the redhead complimented, "you look like a natural."

Saria jumped off the stallion and landed with perfect ease.

_No one would ever think she hurt her ankle, _I thought.

I gave her a knowing look, hoping she would know what it meant.

It seemed Saria did. "I feel like I've done that before."

I nodded.

_That's good, _I thought, _I think it's time I took her to a place with a little more greenery now. _

"You've certainly showed the capability," I said and grinned at her.

Malon looked between the two of us. "Should I schedule you another riding appointment then?" she asked Saria.

Saria looked back at the horse. "He's a beauty," she said, "but I don't want to commit just yet."

Malon grinned at her. "Flirting with a stallion is dangerous," she joked.

Saria laughed. "Aye, but I think ye have that backwards," she said, letting that foreign accent slip through again, "I think the stallion was flirting with me."

The redhead gave the seamstress a peculiar stare. "That's quite the vernacular," she said, "where are you originally from?"

I was going to interject, but Saria had it under control.

Saria shrugged. "Here and there," she said, conforming her voice to the standard Hylian again.

_That's what I'm trying to find out, _I thought, and then looked towards the exit.

"You ready to go?" I asked Saria, not meaning to cut the visit short, but there were still other places I wanted to visit before the day was over.

Saria looked at me surprised, then glanced at Malon. "Um... sure."

I nodded and started for the exit.

"I'll bring Epona by more often in the future Malon," I promised.

Malon raised a brow as she watched Saria and I walk away. "We'll see."

I smiled as we left the ranch.

_We'll see indeed my friend, _I thought, _we'll see indeed._

~SSS~

Back on Hyrule Field Saria's enthusiasm was growing. She really enjoyed that ride.

"Where are we going now?" she asked with her arms around my waist as we saddled on Epona.

I grinned.

"That is actually a surprise," I said.

Saria looked at me curious.

"A surprise?" she repeated.

I nodded.

"I think this next destination will be a big help to you," I said.

The puzzled expression never left her face.

"It sounds interesting," she replied.

_It is, _I thought, _and I can't wait for you to see it._

I giddied Epona and we head for Kokiri impasse. When we approached we dismount, as my mare would not go into the tunnel.

"We're going on foot from now on?" Saria asked me.

I nodded.

"Epona's too big for this forest," I replied.

She paused for a moment.

"A forest?" Saria asked drawing back.

I saw Saria hesitate, but I took her hand firmly in mine.

"It's alright," I promised her, "I won't let anything happen to you."

I still saw traces of doubt in her face, but she nodded and followed me anyway. We passed the bridge and I discreetly watched for the reactions on her face. She was looking around in wonder. I didn't blame her, Kokiri Forest was a beautiful place. The green iridescence that permeated through the air shifted from evergreen to evergreen. Fireflies and tree sprites dotted the breeze, and flickered beyond the foliage. Tunnels carved out of trees led to deeper impasses of the forest. We headed through the second tunnel and into the Kokiri Village.

_Something might manifest itself here, _I thought.

I felt her let go of my hand as her eyes grew wide from looking around. She went out ahead of me and stopped in the middle of the dirt road.

"Oh my goddess," I heard her whispered. She turned to look at me. "I think… I think I know this place," she said startled.

I merely nodded and watched as she explored the area on her own. I wasn't letting it show, but I felt my heart was pounding fast. I didn't know why, I think maybe I was just excited for her too.

"These trees," she whispered, going up to touch one, "they're so old, but so familiar."

"Do you recognize them?" I asked.

She swallowed hard and nodded. Saria walked off the path to explore a little house on her left. She approached it slowly, and knocked on the door. She had to kneel down to get a better pitch on the wood.

"Hello?" she called out, then looked in the small window. She turned to look at me a flummoxed. "There's no one here," she said, "it seems that the village is empty."

I grinned and crossed my arms over my chest. I sat down on an old tree stump.

"Oh, they're here," I replied, "they're just hiding right now. Try another house."

She looked at me perplexed.

"They?" she asked.

I nodded.

"The Kokiri," I said.

Her perplexity never went away.

"What's a Kokiri?" she asked.

I chuckled when she said that.

"Knock on a door and find out," I said.

Saria furrowed her brow at my words, but turned around and approached the house that was directly behind her anyway. She knocked again softly and waited for a reply. There was silence.

"Hello?" she called out finally, when no one answered for a second time.

"Go away!" a small voice inside finally snapped.

Saria looked startled at the sudden outburst, but didn't budge. She turned to look at me confused.

"Was that a child's voice?" she asked me.

Before I could reply, the voice on the other side of the door reprimanded Saria.

"Let's get one thing straight," said the feisty female Kokiri, "I'm not a _child,_ I'm a Kokiri."

Saria eyes were widened in surprise. "Oh," she replied, "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware there was a difference."

"There's a big difference lady!" the little voice went on.

Saria sighed and bit her lower lip. "Please," she began, "I didn't mean to insult you. I'm trying to find out why I can't remember where I'm from. My friend brought me here because he thought your people could help me."

A silence followed after Saria spoke, but slowly the door opened and a little strawberry blonde head poked out. When the little Kokiri saw Saria her eyes got wide in disbelief.

"Saria?"the little Kokiri said in shock.

Saria drew back a little befuddled with what was going on.

"You know me?" she asked.

The Kokiri let her head rest on her shoulder as she stared at Saria. "I think I do," she said, "but how'd you get so big?"

Saria looked at the Kokiri shocked. "For all that I know I've always been this big," she replied.

The Kokiri for some odd reason giggled. "You look just like our beloved Saria," the Kokiri said, "she's the Forest Sage you know."

Saria shook her head baffled. "There's a girl that lives here with my same name, and she's the Sage of the Forest?" she asked the Kokiri.

When I saw Saria was getting a little overwhelmed, I got up from the stump. I was beginning to think that everything Saria was taking in was too much for her.

_It's like an information overload, _I thought, but even though I got closer to her, I didn't intervene.

"Look lady, you probably got that name after _her_," the Kokiri went on, "no offense to you, but Saria's been around a long time."

Saria shrugged and shook her head. "None taken," she replied.

"So," the Kokiri said, "how can I help you?"

Saria hesitated for a second. "You said something about Saria being the Forest Sage?" she repeated, trying to understand. "What did you mean by that?"

"What did I mean?" the Kokiri went on incredulous. "I meant what I said. She's been the sage of the forest for years now, but then there was some funny stuff happening at the temple, and Mido went in to see what was going on."

That got my attention.

_What? _I thought.

"Funny stuff?" I segued, not meaning to interrupt.

The Kokiri turned to look at me.

"Who are you?" the Kokiri asked me.

"Oh," I replied, realizing she couldn't recognize me in my adult state, "I'm her friend."

The Kokiri gave me an odd stare.

"You look familiar," the Kokiri stated.

I merely smirked.

_I'm sure I do, _I thought.

"I get that a lot," I replied.

"Anyway," the Kokiri went on, turning her attention back to Saria, "Mido claimed he heard a girl's voice crying at the temple, and said he was going to check it out."

Saria narrowed her eyes slightly. "Who's Mido?" she asked.

The Kokiri scoffed.

"He's the so called 'leader' of us Kokiri," the Kokiri went on, "he gave himself that title so Saria could like him, but she never did. She had it bad for her best friend. Anyway, Mido left one day thinking he was going to bring Saria back. That was five years ago."

Saria looked concerned at that. "Where is he now?" she asked.

The little Kokiri shrugged.

"Beats me," she said, "he still hasn't come back yet. He said something about doing anything to save his beloved."

Saria blushed when she heard that. "Anything to save his beloved?" she repeated. "I don't know why, but that sounds so familiar."

"I wouldn't worry," the Kokiri said, "no one misses him anyway. He was a bully and a jerk. He used to pick on this other Kokiri named Link. He picked on him so badly that Link left the forest and died!"

Saria's eyes widened again and she turned to look at me. "Is… is she speaking about you?" she asked me.

I nodded.

"Some of the facts are skewed, but she pretty much is telling you the truth," I replied, "except the whole Mido driving me away, and the death thing."

Saria turned back to the Kokiri and looked at her troubled. "This is so strange," she muttered to herself.

The Kokiri shrugged.

"Not really," the Kokiri replied, thinking she was talking to her.

Saria sighed and tried to smile. "Thank you for your help," she replied, "you've been wonderful."

"If you want to know more about Saria, her house is over there," the Kokiri said pointing to the northwest corner, "right next to my former dream bow."

Saria grinned at the Kokiri. "And who was that?" Saria asked.

The Kokiri scoffed. "Link of course," the she said, "well, I better go, I've said too much already. I'd speak to the Great Deku Tree if you want more info."

"The Great Deku Tree?" Saria repeated.

"Yep," the Kokiri said, trying to close her door.

However, Saria stopped her for a moment. "Wait," she said, "who was Saria's best friend?"

The Kokiri rolled her eyes as if she didn't want to answer.

"Why?" she demanded.

Saria bit her lower lip. "I just want to know," she said.

The Kokiri took in a deep sigh. "Link," she replied.

Saria blushed at the revelation. "Link?" she repeated, then turned to look at me.

I unintentionally felt my cheeks flush too.

_I'm getting too old for that, _I thought embarrassed.

Saria looked unsettled and decided to let the Kokiri go back inside.

"Thank you," Saria said quietly, "you've been very helpful."

"Sure," the Kokiri said, then slammed her door.

I raised my eyebrows at that.

_It looks like some of the manners have left some of the forest with me and Saria, _I thought, _but if Mido was the leader for so many years, what was to be expected? _

Saria then turned and hurried down the road, she gestured for me to follow after her.

"Come on!" she called.

I headed down the road after her. Saria headed off the main road again, and approached the Kokiri house intrigued. She then opened the door and peered in. Her eyes grew wide.

"What is it?" I asked, coming up and placing a hand on her shoulder.

She covered my hand with hers briefly.

"I know that hearth," she said.

My own heart began to pound a little bit.

"You know this place?" I asked.

Saria nodded solemnly, then went in.

"I used to make soup in that pot," she said, looking at the soot and cobwebbed utensils.

I followed, but only attempted to squat in the tiny door way. Saria tried to sit down in one of the tiny chairs, obviously much too big for it now, and I saw her take in a deep breath.

"I used to live here," she said so quiet I could hardly hear her.

She looked away from me as tears filled her eyes. I carefully maneuver past the door way so I didn't bump my head, and tried to sit down across from her on the floor.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

She nodded, then wiped her eyes.

"I can't believe I didn't remember any of this," she said attempting to smile. "It's like my entire childhood was snatched away from me."

I reached over and took her hand in mine.

"What happened to you?" I asked her softly.

Saria shook her head.

"I don't know," she said, "one day I just ended up in this little village deep in the woods."

My ears perked when she said that.

_Little village? _I thought.

"What village?" I asked.

She sighed and thought nothing of it.

"A little place called Ordon," she replied.

I looked at her flummoxed.

"Where?" I asked, never hearing of it.

"Ordon," she repeated, "I wouldn't expect you to know about it, it was only founded five years ago."

I looked at her puzzled.

_How in the world are there new marked territories, and I know nothing about them? _I wondered.

Saria saw the inquiry in my eyes.

"What is it Sir Link?" she asked.

I shook my head, still thinking.

_I need to know more about this Ordon, _I thought.

"Would you take me to that place?" I asked her, detracting the subject.

She raised her eyebrows and nodded.

"Of course," she replied.

_Ordon Village?_ I thought incredulous. _There are too many coincidences happening at once. How in the world do I not know about an entire village?_

I was shaken from my thoughts, when Saria reached over and grabbed my hand suddenly.

"Can-can we go see the Deku Tree?" she begged all of a sudden. "Maybe it knows something."

I stared into her eyes and smiled.

_With her asking me like that how could I say no? _I thought.

"Of course we can," I replied.

We then got up and headed for the exit. Saria paused at the door and turned to look around for a moment. She took in a deep breath, then grinned.

"I hope I can remember more of what this life was like," she said to herself.

_I hope so too, _I thought.

She then exited and met me outside. However, we had an unexpected crowd greet us.

Saria's eyes widened. "There's a whole tribe!" she said surprised.

The Kokiri marched up to us.

"What are you doing in Saria's house?" one the Kokiri demanded of Saria.

Saria was hesitant to reply. "I… I think I knew the little girl who lived here," she stated.

"Saria wasn't a little girl," a little Kokiri boy snapped, "she was a _Kokiri_!"

Saria raised her eyebrows trying to understand the difference. "Oh right, I forgot," she replied, "I'm sorry for talking disrespectfully of your friend."

There was a low groan from the tiny people, and they chattered in amongst each other. I was digging in my satchel looking for my map when Saria approached me.

"Did you really live here?" Saria asked me abruptly.

I smiled at her and nodded.

"Yes," I replied, "I did."

She smiled at my answer.

"You must have had quite a childhood," she said.

I grinned.

"It was wonderful here," I said, "with... the exception of Mido."

Saria bit her lower lip and looked away from my eyes just then.

"Was Saria really your best friend?" she asked me quietly.

I was silent for a moment.

"Yes," I replied with a sigh, "she was."

Saria looked back at me and characteristically blushed.

"Did you… did you love her?" she asked, not looking into my eyes.

I felt my heart pound like crazy, but before I could answer, the Kokiri interrupted us.

"Could you remove that thing on your head?" another little Kokiri boy asked Saria abruptly.

"Why?" Saria replied.

"We just want to see the color of your hair," another Kokiri boy added.

"Oh," Saria says nonchalantly and then removes her headdress, "okay."

There was a collective gasp when they all saw Saria's green waves tumble down her back.

"It looks just Saria's!" a little Kokiri girl gasped.

For some odd reason Saria smiled.

"You like it?" she asked them.

The Kokiri didn't answer immediately.

"Where did you get that hair?" a Kokiri girl demanded suddenly.

Saria shrugged imperturbably.

"I was born with it," Saria replied.

The Kokiri broke into another buzz of chatter.

Saria glanced over at me and for some odd reason smiled. I didn't realize why until I saw her kneel down and catch the attention of a lone Kokiri boy not in amongst the group. She looked at him sweetly and gestured for him to come to her.

_Smart girl. _I thought with a smirk. _Use your feminine whiles to your advantage._

"Could you take me to that big beautiful tree that you all talk to?" Saria asked him gently.

It worked because he turned red.

"Uh-I don't think strangers are allowed to see the Deku Tree," the Kokiri boy replied.

Saria stared deeper into his eyes.

"Please," she begged.

I turned so I wouldn't chuckle.

_That poor Kokiri won't know what to do with himself, _I thought humorous.

The Kokiri swallowed hard and then nodded mechanically.

"Okay fine," the Kokiri boys replied quick.

"She can't see the Great Deku Tree!" another Kokiri girl said upset.

"Oh yes she can!" the Kokiri boy said back, "If that big old guy with the creepy beard can see the Deku Tree, this girl should be able to too!"

I was alerted immediately.

"What?" I demanded unintentional. "What big old guy?"

The little Kokiri boy edged back at my tone.

"Some big old guy came and spoke to the Deku Tree a couple days ago," another Kokiri girl replied, "he was wearing some fancy clothes and a funny looking ring."

_The signet ring of the royal family, _I thought in disbelief, _the king was here!_

"You didn't happen to hear what he said did you?" I asked knowing it would be a silly question.

The Kokiri boy looked at me like I was crazy.

"No," he replied.

_This is insane! _I thought. _There are too many coincidences happening in one day for my liking. First, he just up and leaves when there's a killer after him, and then he comes to see the Deku Tree secretly. Is he mad?_

I took in a deep troubled breath.

"What's wrong with you?" one of the Kokiri girls asked me.

Saria noticed my ostentatious expression.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing," I replied.

Saria gave me a funny look.

"Are you sure?" she asked me.

"We need to speak to the Deku Tree immediately," I said impatient, ignoring her questions.

She drew back at my tone.

I sighed.

"I'm sorry," I replied, "I didn't mean to snap."

"Come on let's go," the Kokiri boy Saria flirted with said, "I'll take you to see him."

We followed him to a tunnel, but the Kokiri boy didn't go through.

"This is as far as I can go," he stated, "we Kokiri have to be summoned to see the Great Deku Tree."

Saria kneeled down and kissed the Kokiri boy's cheek softly.

"Thank you," she said to him, and he blushed, "you've been wonderful."

The Kokiri boy turned red and smiled sheepishly.

"Ah, gee you're welcome," he replied, then turned and ran off to join his brethren.

I took Saria's hand and headed with her down the tunnel to the commodious alcove where the large tree was residing.

_It looks like the new sapling is a full fledged fern now, _I thought, remembering how small the tree used to be eight years ago.

Saria's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"I can't believe it," I heard her whisper.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling and then a sharp ray of green light that iridized across the sky.

When the magnificence dissipated the Great Deku Tree spoke.

"Believe it young one," the Deku Tree said.

I turned to see the shocked look on Saria's face.

"And how are you Hero of Time?" The Deku Tree asked me.

I sighed.

"I'm a little unsettled," I said honestly, "there have been so many things going on as of late."

"More than even you realize great hero," the Deku tree said with a thoughtful inflection in its tone, "for that is why you are here, is it not?"

Saria came up and stood next to me, she still looked dumbfounded.

"I wanted to inquire about your conversation with the king," I divulged.

Saria turned to me surprised.

"The king?" she asked.

_That's right, _I thought, _she didn't know what the Kokiri meant back there._

The Deku Tree nodded shaking several branches.

"And the young lady no doubt has some questions for me as well," the Deku Tree said.

Saria turned her attention back to it and nodded.

"But first you need to know about a bold warrior by the name of Zant," the Deku Tree said.

_What? _I wondered perplexed.

I noticed Saria's eyes grow wide again, but it wasn't in surprise, it was in fear. I looked at her concerned.

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

Saria shook her head not being able to believe it.

"I… I know who that is," she whispered fearfully.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. The next chapter will be up Saturday.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Inspiration: Paul Dirac: The Dirac Sea is a real theory developed by this scientist. It is based off the ideas of quantum mechanics.**

**Shout Out: Lovewarriors (thanks for the inquiry), and to the guest readers thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012; ADDENDUM Reedited 1/5/2013 this is where the origins of my science 'love affair' began with Zelda fanfiction. Many people think it was just in _How Zelda Got Her Groove Back, _however the general concept started here. Again, the only reason I use science theories is to explain certain phenomena in the game, or to describe a scene, thanks. Oh and I got rid of the Shakespearean language for the Deku Tree I couldn't make it work. ~ZR~. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

I looked at Saria surprised.

"What?" I asked, needing to hear that again. "What do you mean you know who that is?"

Saria looked down and shook her head.

"That name…" she trailed, "it's the same name of this troublemaker that lives near Ordon. He just comes and goes as he pleases. No one knows where he comes from."

_The twilight,_ I thought serious, _that must be where he's coming from._

"You are right young Saria," the Deku Tree said.

Saria looked up at the tree partially stunned.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

The Deku Tree paused while it stared at her.

"I know a great deal about you, my child," the Deku Tree stated, "but unfortunately I'm not the one with whom you must seek for your answers."

Saria took in a deep breath and looked distraught when it told her that.

"Well, what do I do now?" she asked. "How will I know who I really am if you can't help me?"

The tree rustled its leaves and gave her a look of comfort.

"You will find out in due time," the Deku Tree replied.

That wasn't good enough for the young woman.

"When?" she asked desperate. "By whom?"

The Deku Tree fell silent for a moment after she asked that.

"That is not for me to reveal," the Deku Tree replied, "all I can say is you will know."

Saria widened her eyes dumbfounded, and even I couldn't help but look at the Deku Tree strange. I didn't understand why there was such a veil of secrecy surrounding Saria's identity.

_Why can't it just tell her what she needs to know?_ I thought. _How will she ever know who she truly is if she doesn't receive help?_

I looked over at Saria and saw the frustration in her eyes. I understood her dismay, and made it a personal resolve to help her find who she truly was. I placed my hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

"We'll figure it out together," I said to her, "I promise."

Saria tried to smile at my words, but her worries weren't allowing that to happen. She turned her face away from looking at me, and I truly felt for her.

_It's going to be okay, _I thought, _you're going to know who you truly are._

I sighed and turned my attention back to the Deku Tree.

"What can you tell me about this Zant?" I asked, having to remember the task at hand. "Who is he, and what does he want?"

The Deku Tree was silent for a moment as if absorbing the very waters from underneath the ground. There was a slight wind that rustled through its leaves.

"Zant is as Saria says," the Deku Tree stated, "he's a troublemaker trying to intercept his world with ours."

It made perfect sense to me, but Saria looked up confused.

"What?" she asked puzzled.

I forgot, she knew nothing about the situation of the Interlopers, and given the nature of such sensitive information, that should only be privy to limited individuals.

_This cannot get out, _I thought.

"Why don't you wait for me in the forest?" I suggested.

Saria looked over at me slightly upset, knowing what I was trying to do.

"Why?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "You don't trust me?"

I sighed and raised my eyebrows at her defensive expression.

_I'm sorry Saria, _I thought, _but I don't have time to argue with you right now._

"It's not that," I explained, "this is secretive information, and I can't allow an everyday citizen to get involved."

_Come on Saria, _I thought, _don't make me order you, but I will if I have to._

For some strange reason Saria narrowed her eyes at me.

"I'm no everyday citizen," she said to me with a bit of venom in her tone, and then added, "I don't even know who the hell I am."

I narrowed my eyes slightly myself and was taken aback at her sudden change in tone. She didn't sound like herself at all just then, but I thought understood it.

_She just wants to know where she belongs, _I thought, feeling a deep sense of empathy for her.

"Saria-" I tried, wanting to say something consoling to her.

"I fine," she replied, cutting me off, "take care of your business."

Saria then bowed respectfully and turned and headed for the exit. I took in a deep breath when she left the tunnel.

_I hope she'll be alright, _I thought.

"Let her be Link," the Deku Tree said, sensing my concern, "that young woman has many things she seeks, and she will have to have her own personal journey to understand."

I still felt troubled by the disjointed emotions she was exhibiting.

_What happened to her? _I wonder. _How does she not have any memory of her past__? Did someone...?_

I shook my head not wanting to think of such a horrible betrayal.

"Are you alright Link?" the Deku Tree asked me.

I nodded, not really replying.

"You care a great deal about that young maiden, do you not?" the Deku Tree asked me.

_Be careful in how you answer that Link, _I thought.

"I just met her a little while ago," I said, not really answering the question.

The Deku Tree got quiet when I said that.

"Have you?" the Deku Tree asked finally.

I looked up at the tree perplexed, but then felt my heart begin to pound.

_Wait a minute... _I thought.

"What?" I asked puzzled.

The Deku Tree fell silent once more.

"Are you saying she's…?" I trailed my question, not wanting to have the hope shattered. "Are you saying she's the Forest Sage?"

The tree didn't reply right away.

"I have said no such thing," the Deku Tree said carefully, "I simply asked you a question. In time, you will understand."

I wasn't going to lie, I was getting a little irritated with all the secrecy.

_What is the guardian not telling me? _I wondered.

"Why can't you just tell me now?" I demanded.

The tree paused.

"Because right now you must focus on Zant," the Deku Tree stated plainly.

I sighed frustrated.

_All these circles, _I thought, _one mystery leads to another._

"Fine," I said, realizing I had no choice, "who is this Zant?"

The Deku Tree rustled its leaves as a wind blew.

"Zant is a Twili warrior," the Deku Tree said finally, "he lives in a realm adjacent to ours. He's been intercepting the land of Hyrule through a portal shift for the past five years."

I looked up at the tree perplexed.

_A Twili warrior? _I thought. _I wasn't aware such people existed. Was Daphnes referring to the Twili when he was talking about the interlopers?_

That thought needed further clarification, however, I didn't make my inquiries known.

"Intercepting our world from where?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"From the Twilight Realm," the Deku Tree replied, "Zant kidnapped and then murdered a brilliant Hylian alchemist named Paul Dirac, he reestablished the technology known as the time shift stones."

I was surprised by the news, but nodded anyway because I knew who the tree spoke of. The Hylian Paul Dirac was a genius mathematician and alchemist who proposed the theory of the Dirac Sea. A Dirac Sea is a reversed time continuum, or vacuum, where anomalous negative energy pools to create an inverted space. That space is a nano thin membrane where an alternate universe is said to exist.

_The great Dirac was murdered by this individual?_ I wondered. _Why in the world would he do that?_

"What is he after?" I asked.

The Deku Tree didn't answer right away.

"Revenge," it said finally.

I raised both my eyebrows when it said that.

_Revenge for what? _I wondered.

"My lord?" I inquired.

The tree got quiet again. I narrowed my eyes slightly.

_Why is it hesitating? _I wondered.

"Great guardian please," I said, "you must let me know."

The tree rustled its leaves again.

"You already know," it said to me and didn't say anything else.

I looked at it puzzled.

_I already know? _I thought, and then tried to jog my memory for it meant. However, before I could reply the tree decided to tell me.

"Zant wants revenge because he was cast away," the Deku Tree divulged.

Now that the tree said that, it did make sense. Daphnes did make mention of the Interlopers being banished to the world of twilight. Zant's revenge must have something to do with that.

_Why didn't the king inform me about this sooner? _I wondered. _This is serious._

I sighed troubled.

"Why did the king come to you great Deku Tree?" I asked.

The Deku Tree stared at me and didn't answer that right away.

"He came to me for advice," the Deku Tree said finally.

I waited, thinking it was going to say more, but got nothing.

_Come on, _I thought, _don't stop now._

"And…?" I continued. "What did he ask you?"

The Deku Tree was silent again.

"I cannot say," it replied.

I sighed again, frustrated with the dead ends.

_There are too many questions and not enough answers, _I thought upset.

"What _can_ you tell me?" I asked, redirecting the subject.

The Deku Tree could sense my aggravation.

"Calm down young one," it said, "I understand there are many things you wish to know. To aid you in that, you should head to Ordon immediately," the Deku Tree replied. "There you will find some very important information from the inhabitants about this Zant character."

I nodded and took in a deep breath.

_Saria's from that village, _I thought, _it's amazing how we were just talking about it. It seems there's more to Ordon than meets the eye._

"Alright," I replied finally, "I'll go there immediately."

The Deku Tree shook its branches as if in relief. I wish I could feel the same way, but with each passing moment I felt the web of intrigue was getting bigger instead of smaller.

_I have to admit, _I thought, _this trip to the forest turned out to be a lot more productive than I thought it was going to be._

"Thank you good hero," the Deku Tree said, "everyone owes you a bid of thanks."

I nodded and then turned to leave, but before I left the Deku Tree stopped me.

"A word of caution," it began, and I turned around.

_What's this? _I wondered.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes my lord," I replied.

The tree paused for a moment.

"What you find out may test your allegiance to Hyrule," the Deku Tree said cryptically, "even if that is the case, you must consider the means to the end."

I turned back around full on in surprise.

_What the hell...? _I thought.

I narrowed my eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked suspicious.

The Deku Tree didn't answer.

"Take care Hero of Time," the Deku Tree concluded, "I will meet you again one day at the crossroads of life."

_It's going to leave like that! _I thought upset.

With that the sky iridized again with green energy and the Deku Tree fell silent.

"Wait!" I called out, but it was too late the Deku Tree was gone.

I looked at the sleeping tree stunned.

_Test my allegiance to Hyrule? _I wondered unsettled. _Means to the end? What was it talking about?_

I stared at the tree a moment longer before I turned and exited the alcove.

_This is getting more and more erroneous, _I thought, _I have no idea what the Deku Tree meant, but what it said definitely wasn't encouraging._

I tried to lose the worried look on my face when I returned to Kokiri Forest. I didn't want to cause any undue questions if necessary. I stopped short when I saw Saria sitting on the stump I was previously sitting on. She looked troubled.

_I know just how you feel, _I thought, _it's been a sobering day for the both of us._

I went and sat down next to her. We both stared off into the forest for a long time without saying anything. I looked over at her before either one of us spoke.

"Are you still upset?" I asked finally.

She shook her head.

"No," she replied with a sigh.

Saria looked over at me and smiled. I smiled back.

"We'll find out what happened," I said, taking her hand in mine, "I promise."

Saria merely nodded.

"Thank you," she said to me quietly.

I reached up to stroke a lock of her hair, when she abruptly grabbed her forehead.

"Ah!" she cried out in pain.

I looked at her surprised.

_What in the world? _I thought.

"Hey," I said worried, "are you alright? What's wrong?"

Saria didn't answer me, she was too busy pressing her fingertips against her temples.

"Argh!" she grunted, trying to gain control of the pain.

I wanted to help if I could.

"What is it?" I demanded.

Saria didn't answer right away.

"A headache," she managed to say through the pain, "it's okay I know how to deal with them."

I watched helplessly as Saria gripped her head and placed it between her legs. She rocked back and forth slightly.

"This may look strange," she said to me, "but it's the only way it relieves the tension."

A few moments later, the pain subsided and Saria sat herself back up. She stroked her hands through her beautiful hair and looked away. It was clear she was embarrassed. I looked at her vexed.

_How long has she had to deal with this? _I thought.

"How long have you had those headaches?" I asked.

Saria sighed.

"About two months," she replied.

I raised my eyebrows.

_That's odd,_ I thought.

"Just two months?" I asked.

She merely nodded.

"A little over two months actually," she divulged, "I don't know why they suddenly came about."

I paused, because I couldn't help but feel her wanting to know more about her past had something to do with it. I took her hand in mine again, wanting to find some way to reassure her we would solve the mystery.

"I-" I tried.

"It's okay," she interrupted, and got up letting my hand go, "where to now?"

I paused, knowing she didn't want to look weak. Saria rewrapped her headdress back around her head.

_No one thinks you're weak Saria,_ I thought.

"Are you ready?" she asked me, trying to sound confident.

I stood up and gave her an obvious stare.

"Saria…" I said.

She looked at me defiant.

"Where to now?" she repeated, ignoring my concerns.

I stared into her eyes and saw the determination there. I couldn't help but smile.

"Your old stomping grounds," I replied finally, realizing I wasn't going to win with her.

She raised an eyebrow and merely nodded.

"Ordon huh?" she said.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Hmph," she grunted thoughtfully.

Saria stared into my eyes for a second, and then kneeled over and took the knife she had sealed in her boot and put it in the holster at her waist. I looked at her strange as she did this.

_What's that all about? _I wondered.

Saria saw my expression and merely smirked.

"Prepare yourself Sir Link," she said to me, "it's going to be an all out brawl."

I inadvertently grinned at her tenacious spirit.

"I thought that knife was for hunting," I divulged, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It is," she replied, and then narrowed her catlike eyes mischievously, "for scum."

~SSS~

Ordon Village was a remote town situated deep in the mountains. I let Saria lead the way, but was surprised the village was so adjacent to Faron Woods.

_How could I miss this? _I wondered.

I watched Saria carefully as we travelled. The carefree morale she exhibited earlier had waned. I decided I was going to put her in better spirits.

_Let's see if I can get a smile on her face, _I thought.

"I'm confused about something," I said all of a sudden.

She turned her head to look at me.

"What's that?" she asked, stopping for a moment to cut through some roughage.

I couldn't help but notice how skilled she was with that knife.

_I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of that, _I thought.

"You spoke about brawling a little while ago," I said. "If you knew how to fight, why didn't you stop those bandits who were trying to mug you?" I asked.

Saria grinned at my question.

"A persistent royal knight beat me to it," she replied simply, "or did you forget?"

I grinned, allotting myself an 'idiot' moment.

_You made that way too easy for her Link, _I thought.

"Okay," I said with a nod, allowing that one to slide, "fair enough, then answer me this, how did you hurt your ankle?"

Saria stopped for a second and turned to look at me again. She blushed for some odd reason.

"What?" she asked, pretending she didn't understand.

I looked at her strange for a moment.

_What is_ this_ all about? _I wondered.

"Your ankle," I repeated, "how did you hurt it?"

Saria looked into my eyes without flinching, but she didn't answer immediately. I was a little put off by that.

_Is she stalling? _I wondered.

I took a step toward her.

"Saria..." I trailed, finding her behavior odd.

"I fell," she said quickly, "I was trying to move some stuff and I fell."

I raised my eyebrows and just looked at her. I didn't see a problem with her rationale, but her actions leading up to it left me disconcerted.

"You fell?" I repeated in disbelief.

Saria merely nodded and then turned back around. I tried not to be bothered it, but I found it a little odd.

_Why did she act like that just then? _I wondered.

I decided to let the matter go, and take it for what it was. If she said she fell, she fell. I needed to learn to trust people more. I knew that I was losing that inherent ability to take people for their word because of my line of work, but I had to realize that was only going to leave me as a cynic in the end.

_It is what it is Link, _I thought.

We travelled a little farther, walking past a bridge and through an impasse when Saria abruptly halted me.

"We're here," she says quietly, and pulled me to the side, "now it's imperative we keep a low profile. There are a lot of low lives that like to hang out at the tavern."

I nodded, but looked at Saria puzzled.

"And you lived here?" I asked her perplexed.

Saria merely shrugged.

"A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do," she replied, "however when gramps came along I decided to high tail it out of Ordon for a better life."

I grinned, thinking of the old man.

"How did you meet him?" I asked.

Saria smiled at the thought.

"Gramps came in on a caravan," she replied, "he was selling weapons and I needed a way out, so I decided to take my sewing talents with me and set up shop in Kakariko."

I nodded at her story, but then she looked at my face and frowned.

"What?" I asked her.

She shook her head and bit her lower lip.

"You're too tall and too good looking," she divulged all of a sudden, "you're going to stand out and get us turned away."

I unfortunately felt my cheeks flush.

_What am I? _I thought upset at myself. _Seventeen? I can't take a compliment from a pretty lady?_

"Uh... so," I said, not knowing how to reply to that.

Saria immediately hooded me, and then fixed her own headdress.

"That's better," she said, "if no one sees your face they won't feel so insecure about themselves."

_I'm too good looking? _I thought incredulous. _What about her?_

"Well, what about you?" I asked redirecting the subject. "You're so beautiful and your clothes are so forming fitting, you're going to break a man's damn neck."

Saria's eyes got wide at my comment, and I immediately bit my tongue.

_Damn it Link, _I thought, _why did you say that? _

"I only meant-" I tried.

"I _know_ what you meant," Saria interrupted, "just drop it."

She checked my appearance once more, and then peered around the corner. I glanced as well and saw that the grassy area was empty.

"So, where to?" I asked.

"The tavern in the back," Saria replied, "we should start looking for information there."

I raised my eyebrows.

_We? _I thought.

I turned Saria around to face me.

"I don't want you involving yourself more than necessary," I said.

Saria looked back at me and didn't answer.

_Come on, _I thought, _don't be defiant._

"Saria..." I trailed serious.

She looked away.

"Fine," she said, "I won't involve myself unless I need to."

Saria then evaded my hold and headed into the village.

_Wait a minute, _I thought.

"Saria!" I said in a low irritable growl, knowing I couldn't yell after her. "Saria get back here!"

She ignored me.

_She did that on purpose, _I thought upset.

I followed Saria to the tavern and watched as she headed in ahead of me.

_Goddesses this woman is presumptuous!_ I thought and hurried in after her.

Saria walked up to the bar and settled herself at the back. The bartender nodded at her and gave her a big smile at seeing her.

"Saria me lass," he said to her, "how have ye been? I feel like it's been ages."

He sounded just like she did, from time to time.

_So, that's where this accent comes from, _I thought.

"I've been doing alright," she said, "I live near Hyrule Castle now, and decided to come for a visit."

The bartender nodded.

"It's good to see ya," he said, "the tavern hasn't been the same without you. We miss your songs lass, and ye were the best bartender Ordon had ever seen. Well, second only to me."

Saria laughed when he said that.

"I knew ye wouldn't have the balls to denigrate yourself in me presence," she said to him with her accent returning slightly, "but aye, I'll agree with ye, ye certainly know how to draw a pint."

I kept it subtle, but a grin crossed my lips at the two of them talking. I liked their down home vernacular, it was more my style.

_I just don't know if I can do that accent, _I thought.

I walked in and came to sit down next to Saria.

"How're you doing?" I asked the bartender casually.

The bartender eyed me and then gave a look to Saria, who simply shrugged. I tried pretending we weren't together, but it was obvious that that wasn't the case. I looked around and noticed for the most part the bar was empty. However, I did notice some unsavory recognizable faces.

_Oh great, _I thought.

Some of the patrons were men that tried to attack Saria a couple months ago. They were congregating at a table near the northeastern corner of the tavern.

_This can't be good, _I thought, and then turned my attention back to Saria, _what the hell are they all doing here?_

"Hey," I said to her in a low voice.

Saria raised her eyebrows, signifying I had her attention.

"You recognize any of those men over there?" I asked, casually nodding in the men's general direction.

Saria looked past me. When she saw the men in the corner she sighed at their recognition.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod, "unfortunately I do, but don't worry I've got an idea."

I looked at her puzzled when she said that.

_She must have noticed them already, _I thought, _even still, what is she talking about?_

"An idea?" I replied inquiringly.

Saria merely nodded, then smirked seductively at me.

"Don't fret I got you covered," she replied.

I sighed with a little worry, hoping whatever Saria had planned would work. Saria put a hand on my shoulder seeing my cynicism.

"You stress too much," she said to me.

Her reply made me chuckle at her.

_She's right, _I thought.

I grinned.

"If you were the Hero of Time you'd be stressed too," I whispered to her.

She patted my shoulder and gestured for the bartender's attention.

"Two Hylian ales for me and the pansy," Saria said to the bartender.

_Pansy?_ I thought.

I took a slight offense to that.

"Are you referring to me?" I asked her quietly.

Saria merely smirked and didn't answer. I billowed an irritated breath, and let it go.

_This woman..._ I trailed my recourse, and then grinned, _she's really something._

The bartender filled two pints with dark hops Hylian lager. He then slid them down the counter towards us. When we both caught them, Saria clanged her glass to mine.

"Good health to you sir," she said and then downed her beer.

_What in Farore's name!_ I thought, watching her consume the ale.

"Saria," I said, keeping my voice low, "we're supposed to be staking the place out, not getting drunk."

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and gave me an obvious stare.

"I'm aware of that," she said.

I took in a frustrated breath.

"Don't you think you should take it easy?" I asked. "You're a small woman."

Saria fanned me off.

"Nonsense," she replied to me after she finished her brew.

She then threw her empty glass on the floor and broke it. I looked at her with my mouth agape.

_What the hell is she doing? _I thought suddenly, and looked around. _This cannot be what she had in mind!_

"Bartender," she called, "another!"

The bartender merely raised his eyebrows and prepared another brew. I tried to hide my shock.

_That's normal? _I thought surprised.

I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the thieves were now looking in our direction.

_Great, _I thought sarcastic, _I'm supposed to be looking for clues on this Zant guy, and queen crazy here is going to get us mugged._

The bartender finished prepping the drink and then slid it down the counter. However, I intercepted it before Saria could catch it. I looked at her upset.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded to her in a low voice. "You're going to get us kicked out."

Saria narrowed her eyes at me.

"You have to trust me," she said in a low voice.

I shook my head slightly.

"You're acting irrationally right now," I said.

She looked at me determined and ignored me.

"Let go of my beer," she said to me.

I looked at her surprised.

_Is she serious right now? _I thought in disbelief.

"No," I replied, trying to keep my voice down.

Saria narrowed her eyes at me again.

"Let... go... of... my... beer," she repeated, saying each enunciate slowly.

I stared into her eyes.

"Saria, what has gotten in to you?" I asked her, starting to lose my composure. "You're not acting like yourself."

Saria abruptly grabbed for the glass.

"Give me my beer you asshole!" she shouted at me suddenly.

I looked at her stunned.

_What the hell...? _I wondered confused.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the thieves get up from his table and approach the counter. The man gave me a stern, menacing look.

_Damn it! _I thought upset. _This is what I was trying to avoid._

"The miss's wants 'er beer friend," the thief said to me, revealing two missing teeth, "I best believe ye better let 'er have it."

_I knew her actions would-_ I thought.

"Bug off ye bastard," Saria said to him changing her voice when addressing the thief, "I can handle 'im!"

_Did she just change her accent again? _I wondered.

"Saria..." I trailed, wanting her to stop.

I tried to take hold of her hand, but she snatched hers away from mine.

"This has nothing to do with ye!" Saria went on to the thief, then grabbed me by the collar of my cloak and kissed me forcefully on the lips.

My eyes widened in surprise.

_Okay... this is just strange, _I thought.

When she pulled away, she abruptly slapped me across the face indirectly unhooding me. I touched my sore cheek and looked at her bewildered.

_She's insane, _I thought.

"That's how _we_ love each other! Fearlessly and without regret!" Saria said, not dropping the accent. "Ye best learn to mind ye own business friend!"

The thief unsurprisingly became indignant.

"You bitch!" he snarled. "Here I come to your aid and ye cuss me like a Gerudo whore!"

Now, I got up from my stool finally understanding the role play.

_Just go with it Link, _I told myself.

"Uh..." I began, "ye best not be calling my woman a whore! Tis an ingratiated spirit you show!"

I turned to look at Saria for encouragement, but she looked at me repulsed just then. _She _couldn't even go on with her own act anymore.

"_That_ was supposed to be Ordonian?" Saria asked incredulous.

I was taken aback at her discomfiture.

"Um..." I trailed, unsure of what to say, "yeah."

She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Just use your regular voice you idiot!" Saria replied, dropping her accent. "That was the worst attempt at Ordonian I've ever heard!"

I got indignant with her insult.

_She's attacking me over some nonsense? _I thought.

"I didn't even know what the hell you were doing!" I exclaimed back. "I'm still trying to figure out whether you're certifiably crazy, or if this is merely an act!"

The thief was staring at the both of us in disbelief at our argument, but then raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I know you," he said abruptly of Saria, "yer that girl who got me leg shot!" the thief then looked over at me. "And yer the bastard who did it!"

_Oh great,_ I thought.

"Yeah?" Saria taunted, directing it to the thief. "So what!"

I looked at her furiously.

_Why is she egging him on?_ I wondered. _That is not helping! _

"What are you going to do about it?" Saria snapped, then pulled out her blade.

My eyes widened in in shock.

_What the hell is she doing? _I thought upset. _Why is she trying to start a fight?_

Saria got down off the stool.

"What's the matter you toothless prick?" she went on. "Afraid you might get pounded by the woman you tried to rob?"

_This is not how this is supposed to go!_ I thought, but I got up and got in my battle stance anyway. _Why is queen crazy in such a hurry to start a fight?_

I saw out of my peripheral vision the other bandits getting up and coming to their friend's aid.

_Brilliant!_ I thought angrily.

Before I could say a word to initiate the engagement, the toothless thief lunged for Saria. However, Saria did something I didn't expect. She back flipped out of the thief's reach twice, then countered with a slash of her blade. She got a portion of the man's upper arm.

_Whoa! _I thought in surprise of her skill. _Not bad._

The thief stepped back and growled angrily.

"This is why I hate pretty faces!" he said. "They're so damn deceiving!"

His friends then turned their attention to me.

"Ye need to tell yer woman to watch her bloody mouth!" one of them said to me. "It's things like that that will get her throat cut!"

I smirked.

"She has a mind of her own," I replied simply.

They all looked at me angrily just then and got into attack mode. There were four of them, and they didn't look like they hand any real proficiency, but I knew never to under estimate an opponent.

_You never know what they'll pull out of their sleeve, _I thought.

I had my short sword ready. One of the thieves had a nail bat, another had a knife; the other two were bare knuckled.

_They're all low skilled and they use intimidation to get what they want, _I thought taking back the initial credit I gave them, _this will be easy._

The one with the nail bat came at me first. He was actually the easiest to disengage. I swung and sliced his bat in half. The thief then looked at his now useless weapon and drew back.

_That's it? _I thought, then focused my attention on the others.

The two bare knuckled individuals tried to attack me as a pair. One tried to uppercut me from the left, the other tried to get me with a cross on the right.

"Look out!" Saria cried out and immediately intervenes.

Fortunately for me Saria countered the cross with a kick to his hand. She was lightening fast; it was as if it came out of nowhere. She then turned toward his midsection and elbowed his gut. The thief fell down immediately, but Saria wasn't done with him yet, she stepped on his genitals to completely extricate him.

_Ouch, _I thought feeling his pain, _that was just... cold._

The man trying to attack me was momentarily distracted by watching Saria, and got a rude awakening. I dodged his fist and then side swung him to the floor. He hit the ground hard and I heard a disturbing crack.

_He broke something, _I thought, watching as he didn't get up.

He grabbed his leg and moaned in pain. I then turned my attention to the last thief. He looked around and saw the carnage of his comrades and dropped the knife he was holding. He then rose his hands in surrender.

"Please don't hurt me," he begged, "I don't care one way or the other how you two love each other!"

I paused before relieving myself of my battle stance, and point for the thief to sit in an empty chair.

"Move," I said.

The man quickly obeyed. I lowered my sword and gestured for Saria to relax her stance; she still had her knife employed. I turned to look at her.

"It's okay," I said to her, "put your weapon away."

Saria hesitated, but then put her knife away.

I was secretly very intrigued at how she knew and decided to approach the situation in the manner in which she did, but I knew not to ask her about that now. I focused my attention on the thief.

"I'm looking for someone native to these parts," I said, not beating around the bush, "he goes by the name Zant."

The thief's eyes grew wide in fear, and he nodded.

"I know who ye speak of," he said to me, "but he ain't native to these parts. No one knows where that freak is from."

_Freak huh? _I thought. _Zant must be pretty terrible if _he _is calling him a freak._

"Where can I find him?" I asked, pointing my sword at his throat.

The thief swallowed hard in fear.

"Stick around I'm sure he'll come to you," he replied, "you and that crazy lady started quite a ruckus just now. That freak Zant loves chaos. He loves violence and he especially loves a good fight. I'm sure his henchmen will let him know you're both here."

I drew back my blade and glanced over at Saria at the realization.

_That's why she started that fight, _I thought, suddenly understanding everything much clearer now, _she did that to get Zant out of hiding. That was actually quite clever._

Saria just stared at me for a moment with a serious expression. Her eyes looked so intense. I gave her an odd expression.

_'Are you alright?' _I mouthed to her.

Saria merely nodded, but then looked away.

_She knows how to get around here much better than I gave her credit for, _I thought, _it must have been a very rough existence for her._

Saria oddly enough went and sat back down at the bar.

"He'll be here," she said absently to me, "come sit down and have another drink."

I looked at Saria and then back to the thief. I put my sword away, and the thief quickly got up and scuttled away. I shook my head flummoxed, trying to understand the Ordonian culture.

_Is this what they do? _I wondered. _Fight and drink? No wonder Saria wanted to escape this life._

I kept my guard up, but I went back to join her at the bar. Saria downed her beer in one gulp.

_I hope she knows what she's doing, _I thought, then ordered another beer for myself.

Saria was staring straight ahead of her, as if she were engaged in some serious contemplation.

I looked at her concerned.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said to me absently.

I didn't believe her for a second.

"Saria don't lie to me," I said to her, "did you hurt yourself?"

Saria bit her lower lip and sighed as if she made an internal decision.

"Bartender," Saria said quietly, ignoring me, "I want a purple chu jelly whiskey sour."

When she ordered that, the bartender turned and looked at her surprised.

"You want a what?" he asked to make sure he heard correct.

I looked from the bartender and Saria bewildered.

_What's going on now? _I wondered.

"I want a purple chu jelly whiskey sour," she repeated.

"Saria I don't have blue-"the bartender tried.

"Just do it," she interrupted, "it doesn't matter."

The bartender stared at her for a long moment and then went to make her drink.

I turned to look at Saria confused.

"What's the big deal about that drink?" I asked her, finishing my ale.

Saria was silent for a long moment.

"You'll see," she replied.

I didn't like the sound of that.

"I'll see what?" I demanded, "What are you talking about?"

All of a sudden, the door to the tavern opened and a strange dark skinned beast with long interwoven locks and a multifaceted face with no facial features barraged through the door. I turned to look and my eyes widened in surprise. I had never seen a creature like that before in all of Hyrule.

_Where did that come from? _I thought.

"What the hell is that?" I demanded.

I looked over at Saria startled, however, she didn't budge.

_She's not even surprised, _I thought, _she must have seen these kinds of monsters before._

The bartender slid Saria her drink. She caught it, and downed it in one gulp, she then slammed down fifty rupees on the counter.

"Thank you," she replied to the bartender, he merely nodded.

I looked between the two of them, trying to understand what the hell was going on. A moment later Saria's hair iridized bright green and shifted like an optical triboluminescence. Her eyes then glowed a piercing intense blue.

_What in the...? _I wondered, looking at her transfigured appearance. _What was in that drink?_

Saria took in a deep breath, then lunged at the beast with her all her might.

"No!" I cried out, immediately unsheathing my sword and following after her.

_What is she doing?_ I thought.

Saria slammed her body into the beast's belly forcing it out the tavern to the outside.

Saria quickly followed after it, I followed after her and immediately got in front of her.

It began to rain making it harder to see.

"Stay back!" I ordered. "This one is mine!"

She looked past me.

"There's another," she said to me pointing to the northwestern corner where a perimeter was set up.

Strange orange illuminant markings surrounded the area creating a barrier. In the sky, was a large black hole of repeating rectangles and squares sequenced in the Hylian Fibonacci series.

_A portal, _I thought, but didn't keep my eyes focused on it for too long.

The beast lagged over with a heavy kyphosis in its back. I sidestepped when it tried to swing at me. I struck back, cutting some of its locks off. While my attention was diverted, Saria ran from behind me and started attacking the other beast in the area where she pointed to before.

_Damn it! _I thought upset. _Why doesn't she listen?_

"We have to kill them at the same time," she called over to me as if clairvoyant, pulling out her knife and started going to work on the other beast, "if not, they won't die."

"What?" I said surprised.

"We have to fight them in synchronization," she said again, "if not, they'll rejuvenate each other again."

_Great, _I thought annoyed, _can it get anymore complicated?_

"Okay fine," I said, "I'll work in synch with you."

_I have more experience fighting than she does, _I thought, _I'll be sure to match her timing._

"Right," she replied back in agreement.

The beast loomed in my view blocking my vantage point of Saria. I sidestepped twice and back sliced the monster, and then quickly looked over my shoulder. Saria just hit her opponent with six consecutive hits at blazing speed. I needed to match her speed with my intensity. She had quickness, while I had power. We both fight for the next several minutes when I noticed both the beasts were hunched over in a near dead position.

"On my call we're going to give the final blow!" I called over to her. "Give it all you've got!"

"Okay!" she called back.

The beast tried to swing at me desperately. I back flipped out of the way.

"Now!" I commanded, and ran into jump attack formation.

Saria attacked, and suddenly I heard a loud high pitched screech as both beasts disseminated and filtered back into the black hole. Abruptly, the perimeter disappeared. I looked over at Saria and her luminescence had gone. She looked dizzy as she tried to catch her footing. She fell over to the ground.

"Saria!" I said in panic, running over to her immediately.

I took her in my arms and immediately turned her around. Her green hair was back to its normal emerald color, the glow that radiated off her was gone, her skin was cold, and her lips were pale.

"Saria!" I said worried, shaking her slightly to get her to respond. "Saria! Answer me!"

Saria opened her eyes and the blue intensity that was once there was gone. She took in a deep labored breath using her accessory muscles.

"It was that damn drink wasn't it!" I demanded knowingly.

She nodded slowly. She looked so weak.

"That's the only way I can fight those monsters," she whispered, "I don't have your natural strength."

My eyes widened.

"I told you to stay behind me!" I said upset.

She stared into my eyes and smiled weakly.

"It wouldn't have mattered I still drank it," she said in a raspy voice.

I realized her vitality was rapidly failing her. I picked her up immediately and took her back into the tavern. I laid her on one of the tables and approached the bartender.

"What the hell was in that drink?" I demanded.

The bartender sighed.

"Purple chu jelly," the bartender said to me quietly, "we call it the elixir of the Dark Maiden."

I looked him confused.

"She's drunk this before?" I asked.

The bartender nodded.

"Many times," he replied.

"Why is it called the elixir of the Dark Maiden?" I asked.

The bartender was quiet for a moment.

"When young Saria lived here she was the only one with the will to fight off those beasts," he replied, "I decided to help her along and create a concoction that would increase her strength. Unfortunately, the side effects are extreme acidic conditions on the body."

"She's fought those things before?" I asked surprised.

The bartender nodded.

"Aye," he said, "I've known Saria since she was twenty, that was five years ago. She was always as sweet as a lamb. She said it was her duty to protect people. She was always being harassed by the patrons, but she had a will to fight, and I looked out for her."

"So, why give the drink to her if you know this does this to her?" I demanded, going back to the initial subject.

The bartender sighed.

"I always had the antidote ready," he divulged.

I looked at him hopeful.

"What's the antidote?" I demanded.

The bartender looked over at Saria, then back to me.

"Blue chu jelly potion," he said quietly.

_That's all? _I thought.

"Fine," I said, opening my satchel and dropping my whole wallet on the counter, "give me all you have."

The bartender looked at me solemn.

"That's the problem," he divulged, "I don't have any lad."

_This can't be happening! _I thought.

I felt my frustration turn to anger, I reached across the counter and grabbed him by his collar.

"Don't play with me!" I said angrily. "Just give me the goddamn jelly!"

The bartender looked at me with open fear.

"I'm serious!" he said to me. "I don't have it! That's what I was trying to tell her before she drank it! Blue chu jelly is very rare, and hard to cultivate out here in the woods."

I hadn't considered that. I felt my breathing accelerate, when I let go of the bartender. I looked back over at Saria who was steadily declining.

_At this rate she'll die! _I thought.

"Serves the bitch right," I heard one of the disgruntled thieves say.

That was not a smart thing for him to do. I turned at the sound of his voice and punched him straight in the face. The force was so grating, two of his front teeth came out.

"Be grateful you don't pay for that comment with your life!" I seethed through clenched teeth.

It was in that moment a strange faint whispery breeze precluded the air. It was cold and dank, it sent shivers up my spine.

_What was that? _I wondered.

"I'm so surprised the future king of Hyrule has such a quick temper," said a strange male voice from behind me.

I turned at the sound of the voice and saw a strange looking individual.

_What in the-? _I thought, but cut myself off.

He was tall with bluish, ashen grey skin, and almond shaped yellow eyes. He had a long, slender body, with a large oval shaped head, and thin lips. When he spoke his teeth looked sharp and jagged.

_Who in the world...?_ I thought.

"Who are you?" I demanded. "How do you know who I am?"

The creature looked at me thoughtfully.

"I'm nobody in particular," he replied with an encryption to his voice, "and how I know who you are is of no consequence to you, but I couldn't help but notice your skill set when you fought those monsters."

I was taken aback when he said that.

_What? _I thought, but soon forgot about that when I saw out of the corner of my eye Saria trying to sit up.

I hurried past the creature to Saria's side. She rubbed her head, and moaned in pain. Saria blinked several times, then saw the strange looking individual and her eyes widened. She gasped.

"Zant," she managed to say before she fell back out.

I caught her before her head fell onto the table surface, then turned back around quickly.

"So, you're Zant," I said, "it seems you've been busy."

Zant was looking past me to the seamstress.

"I don't know why she drinks that stuff," Zant said absently, then directed to me, "not as busy as your goddess forsaken royal family."

I narrowed my eyes, and quickly assumed my battle stance. Zant smirked at me.

"If you fight me, your precious Saria will die," Zant said simply, "think before you act sir knight."

It took everything in me not lunge at this creature and kill him.

"What the hell do you want?" I demanded.

He smiled at my anger.

"I merely want the royal family to pay for their sins," Zant said simply, "that's all."

I narrowed my eyes.

"That's a presumptuous thing to ask coming from a murderer," I replied.

Zant looked at me keenly.

"You're so naive," Zant said to me simply, "you have no idea what's really going on around you, do you?"

I hated to admit it, but his last taunt did give me a certain degree of cynicism.

_I wouldn't have known about Zant if it hadn't been for Saria and the Deku Tree, _I thought, _there is some truth to what he says._

"It doesn't matter," I said, trying to stay firm in my resolve, "as the first knight to the royal-"

"'The encroachment has begun,'" Zant interrupted me, "does that sound familiar?"

I paused, feeling my eyes grow wide.

_It was this bastard! _I thought. _It was_ this_ bastard who nearly killed Zelda!_

"It was you in the forest that day!" I said angrily. "It was you who tried to kill the princess!"

Zant merely smirked at my reaction.

"Was it?" Zant said, toying with me. "Did you see me? What was I wearing? How did I fight you?"

I swallowed hard.

Zant looked back over at Saria.

"I'd say you've got a good three hours before the girl dies of chu jelly toxicity," Zant said nonchalant, "if I were you, I'd get going. I'm sure there's plenty of blue chu jelly potions at the castle."

I glanced over at Saria and noticed her breathing had gotten shallower.

_I can't stay here any longer, _I thought.

"There will be a reckoning," I said to Zant, then picked up Saria.

"I'm sure there will be," Zant replied. "Be swift will you? Neither one of us wants her to die."

I narrowed my eyes at Zant, but turned to hurry out of the tavern and into the now rainy forest.

_Please Saria hang on! _I thought desperately. _Don't die!_

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**`Inspiration: Conversations between lovers & friends, and rising tension.**

**Original Shout Outs: James Birdsong, ****Hunter113, and** **The Nive.**

**New Shout Outs: Katia0203, My other choice was taken, and AdventureGirl1 thanks for reading new readers.**

**Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012; ADDENDUM reedited 1/7/2013 **

**Specialty Rating: This chapter is T-16 for sensuality. I didn't have a specialty rating before because I didn't think it was a big deal, but after a reader brought it to my attention that the level of sensuality bothered him a little and he wished he was warned about it, I started rating chapters like this. As soon as the scene shifts to the bedroom and the conversation ends you can stop reading if you want. Thanks. ~ZR~.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

I hurried through the forest and across the bridge. When I got to Hyrule Field I immediately called for Epona. The rain was coming down like torrents and Saria's clothes were soaked. I quickly took off my cloak and wrapped her in it. Even though I wanted to keep her dry, I was hoping the cooling effects of the hypothermia would slow the action of the drink.

_Stay with me Sar, _I thought, then tried to find some solace in the emergent situation, _it looks like you're sharing my cloak after all. _

Her condition was steadily getting worse. Her lips were paler, her eyes were closed, and she had a weak, thready pulse. The chill in the air was biting.

_Good goddess, _I thought in panic,_ she's going to die. _

I galloped at full speed when this thought went through my head. I headed to Hyrule Castle Town with all haste. However, the rain wasn't making my ride easy. I had to consistently wipe water out of my face as I rode. My clothes were soaked, and the chill was nipping at my back.

_I'm almost there, _I thought.

As I got closer, the draw bridge was going up. I hurried to dismount and jumped onto the rising bridge. I rolled down the ascending plank, and landed into a standing position. I then went to the chain tower and whipped the door open. The standing guard was startled by my presence. He looked at me shocked.

"Sir Link!" he said surprised. "If I'd known you were trying to-" the guard tried to explain.

"Open the gate," I interrupted, not interested in his explanation and quickly left the tower.

"Yes sir!" he called after me with a salute.

I waited with a slight impatience as the gate came back down. When the abridged wooding met the other side of the moat, I saw that Saria's body had slumped over on Epona.

"Oh no!" I whispered to myself, and ran up to my horse to catch her before she fell.

I held her close and checked her pulse, it was barely palpable. I then hurried and picked her up in my arms and ran into Castle Town. I passed several guards as I went by. All of them were eyeing me surprised. I had Saria's face covered, and immediately headed for my villa.

"Sir Link!" one of the guards called to me. "Sir, are you in need of assistance?"

I kicked the door open and didn't answer him. I went and laid her down on my couch near the far window. I brushed my wet hair out of my face, and checked her pulse again.

"It's getting weaker," I muttered, then hurried to my cabinet and retained a bottle of blue potion.

_This better work, _I thought, popping the cork.

I went up to Saria and uncloaked her, her lips were blue. She honestly looked like she was dead. Needing to stay focused, I put the potion to her lips with a trembling hand, and tilted her head back for her to drink.

_Come on Saria, _I thought, _please give me a sign._

I got hopeful when she induced the motion to swallow.

_That's more like it, _I thought.

"Sir Link," I heard one of the guards call from my entryway, "may I assist you in anyway?"

I turned at the sound of his voice, forgetting I left my door wide open. The soldier was standing at the door frame, but when he caught my eye, he came into my living room.

"Uh..." I said, having to think quickly, "get me some dry towels from the cupboard."

The guard nodded, and immediately went to my cupboard to find a drying towel. When he walked up to hand it to me, I noticed one of his eyebrows rose when he saw my visitor. I ignored it, not worried about what he was thinking.

_I can't worry about that now, _I thought.

I sighed in relief when I saw the motion of her throat continuing to swallow. Saria drank until half the potion was gone. She then sat up a little on her own and finished the rest. When her eyes opened, I let out another sigh of relief. I was glad to see she was going to be okay.

"Ah," she moaned in pain, reaching up and grabbing her head.

Interestingly enough, as quickly as she came to, she passed out again. I got worried at seeing that.

_Damn, _I thought, _that poison really is taking its toll on her body._

"Go get a blanket," I directed the guard, "we've got to get her out of these wet clothes. The hypothermia may be making her lose consciousness."

The guard's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Excuse me sir?" he replied.

I turned to look at him and raised my eyebrows.

"I didn't stutter," I said, "go get the blanket."

The guard froze for a moment unsure if he should follow my orders, but then saluted and went back to the cupboard. He came back and handed me the blanket with hesitation.

"Thank you," I said, and grabbed it to gently dab Saria's face.

Saria took in a deep troubled breath and moved her head to the other side. The potion was starting to have some positive effects. I then fanned the blanket out to cover her body in preparation to undress her. From the corner of my eye, I saw the guard slowly back up.

I turned my head to look at him.

"Where are you going?" I asked abruptly.

He froze in his tracks.

"Uh..." he trailed.

I groaned in slight irritation.

_If he was going to be this much of a worry wart, he shouldn't have asked to help, _I thought.

"Didn't you ask to assist me soldier?" I asked.

The guard stood erect when I said that and saluted again.

"Yes sir," he replied.

I shook my head.

"Well then, get over here!" I snapped, I over exaggerated a little bit to put some pep in his step.

The guard immediately came back to where I was.

"I'm sorry sir!" he said.

"Hold this," I directed, handing him the blanket and ignoring his apology, "I want you to hold this over her while I undress her."

The guard turned red at the cheeks.

_Is he serious right now? _I thought. _He's blushing?_

"Y-Yes sir!" he replied, placing the blanket low over Saria's body.

I grinned, his reaction was humorous.

_He's way too serious, _I thought, reaching under the cloth and pulling off her boots.

They were soaked. I turned them upside and almost a cup of water poured out. I went to touch her feet and her soles were freezing.

_I have to hurry, _I thought, undressing her with more urgency.

I reached up, unbuckled her holster, and pulled down her pants. They were soaked as well. I made sure my head was turned away in the direction of the guard so I wouldn't see Saria's bare skin. I noticed the guard was beet red.

_What is this guy so nervous about? _I wondered. _He's holding a blanket. I'm doing all the work._

Once I removed her pants, I got up to ring them out. The guard stood over Saria in an awkward fashion, nervously holding the blanket above Saria. I knew it was wrong, but I found it funny. I smirked at the guard's fickle nerves.

"Don't peek," I teased, "she may wake up and then you'll really be in trouble."

The guard froze immediately when I said this. His eyes got wide with anxiety.

"I had no intention of peeking sir!" the guard said.

I hung the wet pants over a dry door and turned back around. The guard stood erect like a tree.

_Poor guy, _I thought, trying not to snicker.

"I have to remove her shirt now," I said, "I need for you to continue as you were. Can you do that?"

The guard swallowed hard.

"Yes sir," he replied serious.

I raised my eyebrows and directed my attention back to Saria.

_This guy is intense,_ I thought.

I cleared my throat so I wouldn't chuckle.

"Alright, let's begin," I said.

The guard leaned in to cover Saria up to her shoulders. I raised Saria's arms above her head and lifted her wet shirt. It slid off pretty easily, but it too was soaked. I got up to ring it out.

"Bundle her in the blanket," I said to the guard.

The guard nodded and bundled Saria loosely, not wanting to tuck her in too much. He then turned his attention back to me.

"Is there anything else sir?" he asked.

I shook my head no.

"That's all," I replied, placing Saria's rung shirt over another door, "you may go."

The guard bowed, but then hesitated for a moment. I looked at him from the corner of my eye again.

"Yes?" I inquired.

The guard pursed his lips together before he replied.

"Are… are you sure you don't want me to call a doctor for you?" the guard asked. "This might look… weird for you."

_This guard is more worried about political appearances than I am, _I discerned.

"It's not necessary right now," I replied, "I'll call for the doctor if I need one."

The guard looked at me surprised. I knew he wasn't expecting that reaction.

"But-but sir-" he tried.

I turned full on to face him.

"I think it would be best if you returned to your post," I interrupted.

The guard immediately closed his mouth and saluted when I said that.

"Yes sir," he replied.

He then turned and headed out the front door. I watched him go, but decided to stop him for a moment.

_I need to make sure he doesn't have the wrong idea, _I thought.

"And soldier," I said abruptly, halting him in his tracks.

"Yes sir?" he replied.

I raised my eyebrows and gave him a knowing stare.

"Let's not read more into this than what this is, okay?" I said.

The guard stared at me for a moment and nodded.

"Yes sir," he said.

I was satisfied with that.

"You may go," I said again, then went to close my door after him.

I sighed and turned to look at Saria. Her head was propped up against a pillow, her eyes were closed and she was sleeping soundly. I went over and checked her pulse again. It was stronger now, and her cheeks had more color.

_It looks like the potion is in full effect,_ I thought relieved.

I kneeled down and tightened the blanket around her before I picked her up. She sighed softly in my arms when I lifted her, and I took her upstairs to my bedroom.

_She'll sleep in here, _I thought, placing her head on the dry pillow, _I'll sleep on the couch downstairs._

I covered her with another blanket and she stirred slightly. Saria blinked twice and then looked up at me with a slight haze in her eyes. She put a hand to her forehead and took in a deep breath.

_Thank the goddess, _I thought of her opened eyes.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

I looked down at her and grinned.

_What happened indeed, _I thought.

"You drank too much," I said simply.

Saria gave me a funny stare.

"I drank too much?" she repeated.

I nodded.

"Yes," I replied.

She looked me over just then.

"You're soaking wet," she said, stating the obvious.

I chuckled lightly at hearing that and shrugged.

"You took my cloak from me," I joked.

She smiled.

"You actually shared it with me?" she asked incredulous. "I must have been out cold."

I was glad to see she was getting back to normal.

"Yeah," I replied, "tell me about it."

Saria grinned at me, then tried to sit up.

_Uh oh, _I thought, knowing I needed to caution her with that.

"Wait," I warned, "you might not want to do that. You don't have any…" I trailed, and stroked a hand through my damp hair, "uh… you're naked."

A puzzled expression came across her face.

"What?" she inquired surprised, looking down, grateful only her bare shoulders were showing.

Her eyes got wide and her cheeks turned crimson at the realization of her predicament. She immediately propped herself back down under the covers and gripped the blankets at her chest. There was an uncomfortable silence between us after that.

"Um... where are my clothes?" she asked finally.

I paused for a moment.

_She's probably thinking the worst, _I thought.

"They're drying," I replied.

Saria nodded at hearing that, and gripped onto the sheets tighter.

"Oh," she replied.

There was another silence.

_Let me try to ease her mind, _I thought.

"Uh…" I trailed uncomfortably, which was the opposite of what I intended, "how do you feel?"

She nodded again and wouldn't look up at me.

"I feel okay," she said softly.

"Do you feel weak still?" I went on.

Saria shook her head no.

"I feel a lot better," she said, "what did you give me?"

I grinned.

"The bartender said you had to have a blue potion," I said, "there was none at the bar so I had to rush back here and gave you the one I had in my cabinet."

She finally looked up at me when I said that.

"Thank you," she replied, "I really do appreciate it."

I fanned off her thanks.

"You're welcome," I said, "I'm sorry the day turned out so badly. We set out to help you find out more about your past, and things turn out for the worst and you nearly die."

Saria took in a deep sigh when I said that. She raised her eyebrows and bit her lower lip.

"It was my own fault," she said, "I shouldn't have been so presumptuous."

I only nodded, and we got quiet again. I knew she was nervous about our current situation, and I couldn't lie, so was I.

_Talk about compromising situations... there's a naked woman in my bed, _I thought, _and not just any woman, a beautiful naked woman. If these were the impervious days of my teenage years_ _I would secretly high five myself for this. However, since I'm engaged, and_ am_ kind of popular this could be bad._

"Can I get you anything?" I asked finally, breaking the silence.

Saria shook her head no.

_She seems so timid right now, _I thought, _she probably thinks I copped a feel._

"Um…" I began, "I-I didn't see anything, and I had a guard help me."

Saria looked up at me surprised, and her eyes widened.

"There were two of you?" she asked.

_Maybe I shouldn't have told her that, _I thought.

I merely nodded.

Saria looked away from me and blushed.

We were silent again. I reached over and took it upon myself to feel her forehead. I was trying my hardest not to make things more awkward than what they already were.

_Be natural Link, _I told myself, _stop making this a bigger deal._

"Your temperature seems normal," I stated. "Do you feel hot or flushed, with any weird sensations running up and down your body?"

I immediately bit my tongue, because I realized just how erroneous that sounded.

_Oh wow, _I thought sarcastic, _brilliant Link, absolutely brilliant._

Saria turned beet red.

"Do I feel what?" she asked.

_Don't repeat that, _I thought.

"Never mind," I said quickly.

_Just get out of here, _I told myself, but Saria grabbed my wet sleeve before I walked from the bedside. _What's this? _

"Yes?" I asked her without looking down at her.

She secured the blanket at her chest with her other free hand, and sat up full on.

"Where are you going?" she asked softly.

I had to think quick. I looked over at my closet.

_Perfect, _I thought.

"I need to get you something to sleep in," I replied, "you won't be warm like that."

Before she had a chance to reply, I freed my hand and walked over to my closet.

_Make this quick Link, _I told myself, _the sooner you get out of here the better off you are._

I searched through my tunics until I finally found a night shirt long enough for her. Honestly, all of my pajama shirts would have been long enough for her. I turned and tossed Saria the green and white striped night shirt. I also pulled out a pair of black pajamas for myself.

"Put that on and get some sleep," I said, then headed for the door.

Saria caught the shirt with her free hand, and nodded obediently.

"...Yeah," she said.

I went over to the bedroom door still not looking at her.

"I'll see you in the morning," I said, "goodnight."

Saria stared at me for a moment.

"Goodnight," she replied, "and uh… thank you."

"You're welcome," I replied, feeling an unexpected wave of anxiety run over me.

I hurried to open the door and exit. Just beyond the abridging, I took in a deep apprehensive breath and sighed. I shook my head realizing I was being foolish.

_What the hell is wrong with me? _I thought, already knowing the answer. _I'm a grown man!_

I glanced over my shoulder and tapped my fingers on the door nervously.

"Maybe I should have thought this through better," I muttered to myself.

I grunted, and pushed myself off the door. I went downstairs where I changed into the pajamas I was carrying, and tried to get my mind on something else. I needed to figure out this whole Zant matter anyway. There were still several things I didn't understand. Why the intense secrecy from me? Why was the Deku Tree involved? And why was Daphnes making secret trips without anyone else's knowledge?

I circled the room pondering over these questions.

_I know I need to talk to the king, _I thought, _he's hiding something big. I only got the limited information regarding Zant because of my own endeavors. What could he be possibly hiding I wonder?_

I stopped pacing for a moment and pondered further.

_How does Zant know about me? _I thought all of a sudden. _When he revealed who he was, he distinctly added I was the future king of Hyrule. _How _does he know that? Does he have spies? He must, but who and how?_

The whole matter was unsettling. I sat down absently through my introspection and inadvertently felt wetness. I jumped up immediately from the couch remembering that was where I sat Saria.

_Damn it! _I thought. _This is where I was supposed to sleep tonight._

I took in a frustrated breath, and then looked over at my recliner. The teetered wooden chair sat obtusely from me.

"It looks like it's you and me tonight," I said aloud to the recliner.

I went and got a blanket from my cupboard and eyed the chair again before I sat down.

"I really hate this thing," I muttered to myself, "I don't know why I even have it."

I sat down trying to find a comfortable position. What the hell was I thinking? It was a wooden chair, there was no comfortable position. Realizing this was as good as it was going to get for the night, I forced my eyes shut.

~SSS~

Three o'clock in the Morning: Saria's POV

I sat up in bed clearly not able to sleep. I was too worried about how Link was fairing downstairs. Okay, I wasn't going to lie, I wished we were lying in the same room together whether it was the bedroom or not. I hated the thought of him having discomfort because of me.

_I can't believe he put himself at such risk to help me, _I thought.

I was grateful for that and looked over at the closed door. I bit my lower lip.

_Should I get up and check on him? _I thought, knowing I should probably stay put.

There was no need to 'check' on Link, he wasn't a child, I knew he was fine.

_Do I have some ulterior motives? _I wondered. _Am I lying to myself with why I'm concerned with him? Do I want something more?_

I sighed at the dilemma and pulled the sheets back. My legs dangled with hesitation for a moment.

_Maybe... _I thought with honesty, _but remember Saria this was the kind of situation you were trying to avoid. Don't go downstairs under false pretenses when you know very well there are... other reasons you want to know if Link is okay._

I went over the quandary several times in my head and made a decision just then.

"Maybe I could just peek out the door and see if he's doing alright," I reasoned and got up from the warm bed.

Even with that decision in mind, I hesitated several feet from the door.

_Saria, _I thought, _if you open that door you know something... compromising is going to happen. Just stay in the room and go to sleep. _

I sighed and stared at the closed door again.

"I better not," I said, realizing my duality was making me seem silly now, "I know I'm going to regret it if I do."

I crossed my arms over my chest and didn't move one way or another.

_However, _I thought, _there are some _things _that came to my mind that I recently had no recollection of. Maybe I can discuss that with Link. _

I wasn't just pondering that to ponder that, there were some memories that had conjured to my mind. I knew it was late, but considering the circumstances I may not get another opportunity to discuss what's been going on with me to Link like this again.

_Okay, _I thought, _the decision has been made. I'll see if he's okay, and if he awakens we can talk... possibly. _

With that in mind I went over to the door. I opened it slowly and peered out. I couldn't really see anything from the vantage point of the living room, so I poked my head out and looked downstairs. I raised my eyebrows when I saw Link sitting in a very uncomfortable wooden looking chair. I came out and stood at the top stair when I saw this. I closed the door behind me and went down several of the stairs. I stopped at the midway point and sat down.

Link's head was turned on his side and he was muttering slightly in his sleep. I looked at him concerned but didn't want to waken him for fear of how he may react.

_I hope he's okay, _I thought, pulling my knees to my chest, _what in the world is he dreaming about?_

~SSS~

Link's POV

_On the event horizon was a beautiful golden brown iridescence. __Encapsulated in the center, like a diamond shaped beacon of light, was the Castle of Hyrule. __In the top tower was a beautiful maiden with long dark hair. __She wore a cloak, and bore the symbol of the Triforce in her left hand._

_Zelda? _I wondered, but she looked slightly different.

_I ran to the top of the tower to try to free the maiden._

"_Come on!" I said in a hurry. "We have to go quickly!"_

_The woman looked at me with sad, but beautiful blue eyes._

"_How could you do this to me forefather?" the maiden asked, her voice was full of sorrow._

_I looked at her confused._

"_I want to help you!" I replied. "That's why I'm here!"_

_The maiden merely looked at me._

"_You can't help me," she said to me._

_I tried to reach for her._

"_I can!" I begged. "Just give me your hand!"_

_She's just beyond my reach._

"_You can't help me," she repeated._

_I tried to grab for her again, when out of nowhere Zant appeared behind the maiden. _

_My eyes grew wide in fear._

"_Behind you!" I cried out._

_But the maiden didn't respond, she just stared at me._

_Zant pulled out a long blade and readies it at her neck._

_I felt panic run through me at seeing that._

"_No!" I cried out, trying to warn her. "Behind you!"_

_Again she didn't react._

_Zant smirked._

"_You will pay for your family's sins," he said to her and then brought the sword back to strike._

"_No!" I said, trying to reach for her._

_Zant swung._

"_No!" I screamed._

~SSS~

"No!" I whispered, then woke up.

I blinked several times, then ran my hands over my hands over my face.

_What in the world was that? _I thought.

I shook my head.

"A nightmare," I moaned to myself.

I looked out the window and noticed it was still dark outside.

_It's still a few hours before dawn, _I thought, taking in a deep breath, _it seems like this day is never going to end._

I thought I was alone, but then I looked up abruptly and was slightly startled to see Saria sitting down staring at me from the staircase. It took me a moment to get her face in focus. She looked at me concerned.

"Are you okay?" she asked me softly.

I took in a relieved sigh. I was glad to see she looked like her normal self, and she was able to get out of bed without any worries.

"Yeah," I replied, and tried to smile.

"You were muttering in your sleep," she stated, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry if I startled you."

I grinned at her concern.

"I'm fine," I replied, "thank you. I just had a little unexpected dream."

Saria lifted her head from her knees when I said that.

"You had a nightmare?" she asked.

I didn't want her worrying about anything like that.

_Just reassure her of your wellbeing and let her go back to bed, _I thought.

"I'm fine Saria," I said, not answering her inquiry, "thanks for being concerned."

Saria sighed at my answer and just stared at me for a moment. She stood up, but instead of going back upstairs and back to bed, she came down the rest of the stairs to where I was. She sat down across from me on my coffee table.

I immediately tensed up when she did that. I couldn't help it. Saria was only wearing a long shirt with nothing else underneath, and she had these incredibly perfect legs and thighs. I wasn't the type of man who lied to himself about a weakness. Beautiful women were a weakness of mine, that's why I avoided them. Being the First knight and Hero of Time invited a lot of impervious women to my door. I always said no, but this time it was different. I had one _in _my house with me. Maybe I was being presumptuous, but with the way Saria was staring at me with her hair down, and her bangs falling into her face, she looked like one of those impervious women. She looked like an angel as well.

_Oh goddesses, _I thought, _this just isn't fair._

"What are you doing up?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Saria shrugged at my question.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied, "I kept thinking about you down here all by yourself."

I nodded, trying to ignore the inflection in her last statement.

_Don't match that, _I thought.

"That happens to me too," I said, replying only to the first thing she said, "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

Saria paused and stared at me again. She was perceptive, she caught on to what I was trying to do. She looked down and oddly smirked while shaking her head.

_I guess I made that obvious, _I thought.

"What?" I asked anyway.

Saria bit her lower lip before she answered.

"You know," she began, "you don't always have to say what everybody wants to hear."

I wish I could say I agreed with her, but I knew given my station in life that that simply wasn't true. However, I understood her conjecture and agreed with her. I looked at her thoughtfully just then.

"I don't," I stated honest.

Saria let her head fall to her shoulder and she smiled at me again.

"Yes you do," she replied, "you're the Hero of Time, you have to be perfect."

I raised my eyebrows and grinned, wishing I could disagree with her on that, but I couldn't.

"It feels that way sometimes, I'm not going to lie," I replied, "but I understand why people have that expectation."

Saria raised her eyebrows at me.

"Don't you think you're expecting too much from yourself by putting all the people's expectations on you?" she asked.

I saw her point.

"I know what you mean," I said, "but really, what choice do I have?"

"Hmph," she grunted in a thoughtful manner, "I never thought of it that way."

I nodded, and then a brief silence fell over us. Saria was still looking at me with that hypnotic blue gaze from those catlike eyes of hers. She really was stunning, but there was something different about her beauty that night. Her eyes seemed bluer and her hair had this mysterious iridescent glow from the moonlight. I didn't want to think about it, but I wondered how many men were seduced by that gaze.

_Don't think like that Link, _I told myself, _you have no reason to suspect she's had that kind of past, or that she's that kind of woman. She said it herself she wasn't that kind of girl._

Saria straightened her head and looked deeply into my eyes.

"You want to know something?" she asked me, breaking the silence.

I raised my eyebrows.

"What's that?" I inquired.

She gave me a long once over after she said that.

"You don't have to be perfect with me," she said softly, "you can be a little flawed white knight of Hyrule. You can be a little… dirty."

I looked at her surprised when she said that.

_Oh boy, _I thought.

"Uh..." I trailed.

She grinned at my reaction.

"Did I say too much?" she whispered.

My throat tightened at her tone.

_Don't match that either, _I thought.

"N-no no!" I stammered, sounding like a fool. "I was just going to say that's good to know."

I wanted to ease the tension I felt radiating off the both of us, but I realized that was a stupid reply on my part.

_Really Link? _I demanded of myself. _Being told being dirty 'is good to know?'_

Saria grinned at my reaction and I really wanted to change the subject. This was quickly going down a direction it shouldn't.

_Bring up something about the previous day, _I thought, _say something, anything! _

"That was quite the melee you started at the bar in Ordon," I segued, "do you usually get things all rowdy like that?"

I probably should have used different vernacular considering our present situation, but I had to make due with what I said.

_There's no taking it back now, _I thought.

Saria wasn't stupid, she knew what I was doing, but instead of fighting it, she went along with it.

"It was, and no, not all the time," she said with a nod, and then didn't say anymore.

I had to admit, she was good. She was forcing this whole segment of conversation on me. I was the one who brought it up, so I had to be the one to initiate it.

_Keep going then, _I thought.

"How did you learn to fight like that?" I asked. "You're pretty skilled."

Saria smirked at me.

"Here and there," she replied.

I raised my eyebrows at her, and she simply stared back.

"Here and there huh?" I replied.

She licked her lips.

"Yeah," she whispered.

That nearly got a rise out of me.

_Oh boy, change the subject, _I thought.

"Do you... think the old man is worried about you?" I continued.

She grinned and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"He isn't my father Sir Link," she replied.

I was slightly thrown off by that.

"I..." I trailed, "I didn't say that."

Saria studied me again.

"I suppose he is worried," she replied finally, "I did tell him I'd be back yesterday," she looked out the window at the predawn hour, "that didn't work out too well."

I took in a deep breath and nodded. For some odd reason she smiled at me.

"What?" I asked her.

She shrugged.

"You're adorable when you're nervous," she said.

I looked at her surprised.

_Does it show that much? _I wondered.

"Oh... uh... thanks," I trailed, not knowing what else to say to that.

She chuckled softly.

"No problem," she said with a nod.

There was a brief silence between us.

_This is harder than I thought, _I pondered.

"So..." I started, breaking the silence, "you sing?"

Saria raised her eyebrows at me.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"You stated something or other like that at the tavern," I replied.

A thoughtful expression came across her face just then.

"Yeah," she said, "I did mention that, didn't I?"

I nodded.

"Yes you did," I replied, then added, "what do you sing?"

The subject seemed to really interest her.

"Mostly jigs and folk tunes," she replied, "when I worked at the tavern I'd sing with my ocarina and get the customers going."

_Wait a minute, what? _I thought.

"You can play the ocarina?" I asked.

The look on my face must have revealed my surprise.

Saria nodded.

"Yes," she said, "I've been playing for as long as I can remember."

I looked at her in slight disbelief.

_Is she serious? _I wondered.

"Would you... would you mind singing me a song?" I asked, it was more for my own clarification than anything. "I happen to love the ocarina."

_I'm not going to tell her I know how to play, _I thought, _I need to assess her._

Saria looked at me surprised and then smiled.

"Of course I'll sing for you," she said, "it's the least I can do."

Saria then got up from the table and went to her satchel hanging on one of the door posts. She pulled out a green onyx ocarina, my eyes widened slightly at the sight of it.

_So, she does have one, _I thought.

Saria sat back down, and put the instrument to her lips, but then briefly pulled away.

"Now, I'm a little rusty, so no laughing," she warned playfully.

I shook my head and fanned off her worry.

"I wouldn't laugh at you," I promised.

Saria was reassured by that, and put the ocarina back to her lips. She closed her eyes and started playing a beautiful Hylian jig. The cadence was melodic and simple, but I was really surprised when she pulled away and sang:

"The hills of the trees and forest

Give rise to Farore's great call

So, beckon the will of the forest

Where there's love and good cheer for you all

~S~

"The Hylian inside

Will always have pride

For the virtue that begets in our blood

And we'll still roll tide

And will always fight

To keep the enemies away from our love

~S~

The hills and the trees of the forest

Give rise to Farore's great call

So, beckon the will of the forest

Where there's love and good cheer for you all

Where there's love and good cheer for you all

Where there's love and good cheer for... you all."

Saria played the last sequence of notes and ended her song. She looked at me expectantly when it was over. I was shocked.

"Well," she said hopeful, "what do you think?"

I looked at her dumbfounded for a moment. It was beautiful and reminded me of the past; the woodlands, the trees, those things of my childhood. I tried not to let it show, but I was deeply moved by how wonderfully she sang that.

_That was perfect, _I thought, _absolutely perfect._

"I..." I trailed, not knowing what to say, "I'm speechless, that was beautiful."

She blushed when I said that and smiled. She looked down and caressed her ocarina.

"I'm glad," she said, "that song makes even grown men cry at times. Well... grown drunk men, I should know, I've seen it."

She chuckled after she said that. I would've too, if I were really paying attention to what she said. I stared at her, getting the craziest sense of deja vu.

_Is this woman...? _I trailed my thoughts, and redirected my recourse. _Who is she? _

Saria bit her lower lip at the way I was staring at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

I shook my head when I realized how hard I was staring at her.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to look at you like that."

I looked away and pursed my lips together. Saria saw that and inquired of it.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

_I don't know, _I thought, _but things are getting complicated now._

"I'm fine," I replied.

Saria raised her eyebrows at my expression.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I only nodded, not saying anything else.

_I need dawn to get here like its never gotten here before, _I thought.

There was another silence between us. Saria looked over at me with open curiosity.

"So…" she trailed in expectancy, breaking the silence.

I waited for her to continue.

"So… what?" I asked.

Saria raised her eyebrows at me and crossed her legs. The shirt she was wearing edged up a little. I tried not to, but I glanced down at her lower torso and got a look at her silky, flawless looking thighs.

_Okay, _I told myself, _don't look anymore, you know that's off limits._

She saw that and teased me.

"What are you staring at?" she asked with a grin and a raised brow.

I cut my eyes quickly.

"Nothing," I replied immediately.

Her grin never went away.

"I guess we're right back to square one I see," she said to me.

I looked at her puzzled.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Nothing," she said.

I gave her another once over, then looked at her hair.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

Saria smirked at me.

"You just did," she replied.

I hated that.

"Can I ask you another?" I asked rather dry.

Saria's smirk widened to a smile.

"Sure," she said.

I looked at her hair again.

"Is that your hair's natural color?" I asked.

She gave me an obvious stare.

"Come on Sir Link," she stated.

I raised my eyebrows and shrugged.

"It's a question," I said, "you could've dyed it with hemp herbs and chlorophyll."

Saria shook her head, but smiled at me seductively just then.

"Don't you already know?" she inquired, dropping her voice. "Didn't you undress me? You didn't see any green hair... anywhere else?"

My throat tightened at the suggestive nature of her words.

_Okay, that was a bait Link, _I thought, _don't take it._

"Uh... I told you, I didn't see anything," I replied.

She stared into my eyes as if she didn't believe me.

"You're a regular gentleman, aren't you?" she asked in a low voice. "That's good, I'm a little... shy when it comes to those kinds of things."

I swallowed hard.

_You're certainly not acting like it, _I thought.

"I see," was all I said in reply.

We were silent again, and Saria sighed.

"You…" I started, breaking the silence, "you... uh... might want to watch how you sit. That isn't the longest shirt I have."

Saria stared at me for a moment and let her head fall to her shoulder.

"What's the matter Sir Link?" she teased. "Afraid you might _see_ something this time?"

I felt my eyes widen.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, making sure I heard that right.

She grinned and sat up.

"It was nothing," she replied, "is that better?" she asked.

_This woman knows how to be a playful tease, doesn't she? _I thought.

This situation was becoming more and more compromised.

_I have to nip this in the bud, _I thought.

"Uh… Saria-" I tried.

However, she stopped me.

"Can I say something not rhetorical, mundane, or perfect to you?" Saria interrupted all of a sudden.

I paused, before answering her.

_Be careful in how you answer this Link, _I thought.

"Uh…" I trailed, "sure."

_You didn't nip very much, did you? _I thought.

Saria uncrossed her legs, leaned forward, and rested her elbows on her knees. She stared straight into my eyes.

"I'd much rather you sleep upstairs with me," she said to me boldly.

I paused after she asked me that.

_Oh shit, _I thought.

I forced a smile.

"I'm sorry?" I said.

She smiled.

"You need me to repeat it?" she segued.

I took in a deep sigh and looked away for a moment.

_You have to be clear Link, _I thought, _be clear and tell her no._

"I'm fine Saria," I replied.

She stared at me for a moment.

"Oh really?" she said to me incredulous, and got up from the table.

I edged back in the chair when she came closer.

_Don't get tempted, _I told myself, _don't get tempted._

"Can I see your hand?" she asked me.

I paused, not wanting to entertain this any further, but handed her my right hand anyway.

Saria held onto it for a long time. She then looked at me like I was crazy.

"Your hands are freezing," Saria said to me.

I tried to shrug off the concern.

"They're always like that," I replied quickly, pulling my hand away from her grip.

Saria shook her head.

"No, they're not," she replied, "I've felt your hands when you touched me, they've always been warm."

"Well-" I tried.

"What are you afraid of?" she interrupted. "I won't try anything."

I gave her an obvious stare, and knew that wasn't the truth.

_You've been 'trying' me ever since you came down those stairs, _I thought.

Saria just stared back.

"It's-it's not appropriate," I stuttered, wishing I had more control of my diction.

Saria paused when I said that.

"So… are you saying you don't trust me?" she asked.

I wasn't trying to imply that, because it wasn't a matter of trust. It was a matter of common damn sense.

"No," I said quickly, "that's not what I meant."

"Then, what do you mean?" Saria asked, casually brushing her fingers through my hair.

_Come on Saria, _I thought, _cut me some slack._

"I... I-I-" I stuttered like a babbling fool.

Saria grinned at that.

"Look," she interrupted me, again leaning over and coming within inches of me face, "I'm just worried you'll catch cold. Honestly, that's all I'm concerned with."

I stared into her beautiful eyes, and wanted to believe her.

_You know that's not true Link, _I thought.

"I'm sorry Saria," I replied, "I can't."

Saria looked at me indignantly just then and stood up. She stroked a hand through her long green hair and looked away for a moment.

"Well," she started with an exaggerated sigh, "it looks like the decision has been made then."

I looked up at her puzzled.

_What is she talking about? _I wondered.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She stared right into my eyes.

"I'll just sleep down here with you," she said finally.

My eyes widened.

"What?" I asked surprised.

"You heard me," Saria replied, pulling up my blanket and sitting herself down on my lap.

_Oh goddesses! _I thought worried. _What the hell is she doing?_

Saria snuggled her head against my chin and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight," she said to me nonchalant.

I felt my heart pound in my chest.

_This is freaking incredible! _I thought in disbelief, trying to call on some massive self-control for the moment. _How in the hell am I supposed to get through a night like this?_

I didn't move, but I looked down. Saria had her face resting against the side of my neck. I could feel her soft cool breath.

_She's breathing right against my skin, _I thought.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the sensation and induce sleep upon me.

Nothing happened.

_This is not going to work, _I thought in unease, _I'm going to have an erection, she's going to feel it, and then she's going to think I'm a complete pervert, when in reality I'm just a man. Just a man!_

"Okay, I'll go upstairs," I said abruptly, "just please get up."

Saria pulled back immediately and smirked.

"I knew you'd see it my way," she said to me, then grabbed my hand and yanked me up from the recliner.

_I'm going to regret this, _I told myself as she dragged me upstairs, _I know it._

When we got to my room, I immediately headed for the left side of the bed, got under the sheets, and turned my back to her.

_Just go to sleep, _I told myself, _don't think of anything else. Just go to sleep._

Saria slipped under the covers and looked over at me. She was probably surprised at my hasty maneuver.

"Goodnight," she said softly.

"Goodnight," I grunted.

There was silence, and twenty minutes later there was more silence. Another twenty minutes passed and more silence. The only reason I knew that was because I was wide awake.

_I can't sleep, _I thought.

I heard Saria stir quietly. She sat up.

"Sir Link?" she whispered.

I ignored her, but I felt my pulse dance.

_Please lay back down, _I thought.

"Sir Link?" she whispered again.

I sighed.

"Yes?" I replied like an idiot.

_Damn it! _I thought.

"So, you _are_ awake," she said, then laid back down, "I can't sleep either."

"Try," I replied, trying to sound cross.

"I did," she said, then turned on her side to face my back, "I just can't."

I swallowed hard and closed my eyes.

_Please, don't do this, _I thought.

She reached over and stroked my hair gently.

"You might as well turn around and talk to me since you can't sleep," she said.

I stared at the wall in front of me.

_I don't want to... talk, _I thought, _that's the problem._

"Go to sleep Saria," I replied.

She was quiet at my reply, but then reached over and wrapped her arms around my waist. I could feel her clothed breasts against my back. It was already starting. She was trying to seduce me.

_What am I talking about? _I thought. _She's_ been_ trying to seduce me._

"You're warm," she whispered, resting her head between my shoulder blades and squeezing my waist, "you're just what the doctor ordered, aren't you?"

_Come on Saria, _I thought helpless, _you know I'm only Hylian._

"You said my hands were freezing downstairs," I groaned frustrated.

She ran her hands under my shirt over my stomach.

"Mmm," she moaned seductively, "I'm not talking about your hands."

_Oh boy, _I thought, my eyes shot wide open.

"Saria please... I'm tired," I said, trying to sound more irritable than I really was, "just go to sleep."

She nestled against my back.

"You don't have to snap," she whispered against my ear, "I just wanted to say thank you for what you did for me yesterday."

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. I took her arms from around my waist, and repositioned my pillow.

"You already did by getting better," I said to her, then turned back to face the wall, "goodnight."

Saria looked at me slightly surprised by my action.

"Goodnight," she said finally.

Another twenty minutes went by, and all that was audible was the sound of the rain on my rooftop. That was until Saria interrupted the sound barrier again.

"Sir Link?" Saria whispered.

_Man she's persistent, _I thought, _ignore her._

"Sir Link?" she whispered again.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment and then sighed.

_So much for your will power Link, _I scolded myself.

"Yes?" I replied.

She paused for a moment and reached over to stroke my back again.

"Please talk to me," she begged in a sweet voice, "I may not get an opportunity to talk to you like this again. Stop being such a killjoy, I thought we were friends."

_Now she's begging, _I thought, glancing at the ceiling, as if divine intervention were at play here, _what is this? Punishment?_

"Fine," I grunted, trying to be rude, "talk."

Saria looked at me for a moment.

"Will you at least turn and look at me?" Saria asked.

_Turn and look at you? _I thought. _No Saria, I can't turn and look at you._

"If you want to talk this is the best you're going to get," I replied, "it's this or nothing."

I heard her sigh.

"Okay," she said quietly.

I positioned my pillow again.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Tell me about when you lived in the forest," Saria said to me.

That wasn't the question I was expecting. However, I did appreciate it. I grinned at the thought of the forest.

_I guess I could share a little of that with her, _I thought, _after all, she did sing for me._

"I was born there," I began, "or at least I think I was. No wait… no I wasn't born there. My mother died when I was a baby and I was raised as a Kokiri by the Deku Tree."

Saria turned on her side and faced my back again.

"That sounds so familiar," I heard her say to herself.

I went on.

"I loved the forest," I said with a smile, letting my guard down a little, "I used to play in this place called-"

"The Sacred Forest Meadow," Saria interrupted inadvertently.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

_How did she know that? _I thought.

"Yes," I said.

She bit her lower lip.

"Go on," she said.

"That was my and Saria's place," I said, "she was such an incredible person. She was always looking out for me. She even taught me how to play the ocarina and a song."

"Saria's Song," Saria divulged abruptly.

_Wait a minute, what? _I thought.

I sat up then, and turned to look at her in surprise.

"Yes," I replied.

Saria looked up at me from her side position, beckoning me to go on. However, I was too taken aback at the things she was telling me.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"It just came to me suddenly," Saria replied.

I didn't mean to, but I stared at her with an intense gaze.

"Are you getting some memories back?" I asked, detracting the subject a little.

She nodded.

"That was what I wanted to share with you," she stated. "There are small things that I see coming back to me."

I wanted her to continue.

"Like?" I asked.

She shrugged and looked down at the blanket. She grabbed a tassel from the pillow she was lying on and played with it.

"Like Saria's Song," she said, "I remember a big beautiful opening that led to a strange looking temple. There was a crest of the royal family on the ground in amongst the foliage. There was a beautiful little girl sitting on an old stump playing a happy melody, and then a little blonde boy approached her in a green tunic."

I felt my eyes widened.

_Dear Farore, _I thought in disbelief.

"You remember that?" I asked incredulous.

Saria nodded again.

_This can't be real! _I thought. _I must be dreaming!_

"They played Saria's Song together, before he had to go away on a great quest," Saria went on.

I looked at her in complete astonishment.

_I've never told that to anyone, _I thought, feeling my heart accelerate, _not even Zelda._

Saria looked up at me and grinned.

"That's all I can recall," she said finally.

_That's a lot to recall, _I thought honest.

I swallowed hard and looked away from her.

"What's the matter Sir Link?" she asked me.

I shook my head absently.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Sir Link-" Saria tried.

"Just call me Link," I interrupted her, sick of my title at the moment.

Saria widened her eyes in surprise.

"Okay," she said, "...Link."

_Could she really be…? _I thought. _But this woman is a Hylian, my Saria was a Kokiri. It doesn't make sense. How does she know these things?_

Saria noticed my troubled expression and touched my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I shook my head and didn't reply.

_A lot Saria, _I thought, _a lot._

Saria looked down at her hands when she saw I didn't answer her.

"You know…" she began all of a sudden, "you never answered my question yesterday."

I turned and looked down at her puzzled.

"What question?" I asked.

Saria didn't look at me, and she kept playing with the tassel.

"Did you love that girl Saria?" she asked.

I paused and looked at Saria for a moment.

_I might as well be honest with her, _I thought.

"Yes, I did," I replied.

I saw her cheeks blush, and she wouldn't look at me.

"I actually still do," I divulged with honesty.

Saria looked up at me surprised.

"But you're about to marry the princess," she said.

I sighed.

"Yeah I know, but you never completely get over your first love," I said, feeling very comfortable with the candidness, "there's always some remnant left."

Saria grinned at me.

"That's true," she replied, "it's nice that she was loved by someone decent and kind like you."

_I feel the same way, _I thought, _I'm grateful she was a part of my life. _

We were quiet for the next few minutes, when all of a sudden Saria reached over and rested her head on my shoulder. She stroked her hand over mine in a gentle manner.

"I'm glad I met you," she whispered to me suddenly.

I grinned at her saying that.

"Really?" I asked her. "A couple months ago I was a stalker."

She chuckled softly.

"You still are," she replied, "but I can overlook that," she looked down at her hand over mine, "I... I was lonely without a friend like you coming to visit the dress shop these past couple months."

I turned and looked at her face, which was only inches from mine now.

"You missed me?" I asked in a voice that was too low for the situation I was in.

Saria reached up and caressed my cheek and nodded. I couldn't lie, my skin electrified at her touch. However, I turned back away and we were quiet again. The tension in the air was thick. Saria reached up a little and kissed my cheek suddenly, and that was when I knew she wanted me as badly as I wanted her in that moment, but I had to control myself.

_Don't give in Link, _I told myself.

Even still, I turned to look at her. Her face was only inches from mine again, and she was staring at my mouth. I could feel her breath against my lips. I knew she was waiting for me to make a move, and I was tempted. Goddesses... I was tempted. However, I turned away.

_If I kiss her that's it,_ I thought, _that's__ all it will have to take for me. __She's just too beautiful._

Instead, I turned back to my side lying position and faced the wall.

_I can't Saria, _I thought, _no matter how much I want to, I can't._

"Goodnight," I said to her, hoping she would understand.

Saria sat there staring at me for a few moments. She took in deep sigh and reached over and stroked my back again.

"Link," she whispered.

I knew I shouldn't have answered with her saying my name like that, but I turned my head anyway to look at her.

"Yes?" I asked.

Before I could react, she leaned over and kissed me deeply on the mouth. It was a hungry, passionate kiss, with her hair falling over my face as she coaxed her tongue into my mouth. I pulled back with the intention of stopping, but she was aggressive and didn't let me up. She kissed me deeper and slid one of her hands up my shirt, before she crawled over my half turned body and got herself situated underneath me. I looked down at her and saw that her eyes were eager.

_Oh goddesses, _I thought, _I'm in trouble._

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me down to kiss her again. She had an affectionate, but firm embrace.

_This little woman is strong, _I thought in disbelief.

"Saria," I said between a kiss, "please."

"No Link," she whispered to me, "don't say no to me."

I felt her legs wrap around my waist and her thighs squeeze at my center.

_I knew this would happen if I stayed up here with her, _I thought, _I knew it!_

I pulled back and stared at her, but she mistook it for an invitation and readied to pull her night shirt over her head.

"No!" I said quickly, stopping her.

_If I see her naked it's over, _I thought.

She looked at me surprised, but that didn't deter her.

"More foreplay, huh?" she teased.

She smirked at me flirtatiously and reached up to kiss me again.

_My goddess, she is no joke! _I thought.

"Mmm," she moaned, trying to pull up my night shirt, her fingers stroked over my abs, "come on, take this off," she whispered.

I couldn't lie, I was caught up in her kisses, and I was starting to match her ardency with my own. I couldn't help it, she had such a soft, wet mouth, and it tasted so sweet. She was so beautiful, and her body was so firm, and her legs were so strong, and she smelled so... damn... good. So much so, I found myself stroking her hair, and caressing her thighs, and kissing her like I kissed Zelda that day when we were alone in the poppies. I kept breathing into her mouth as her tongue pressed up against mine. I kept trying to convince myself that she was just my friend and I could stop anytime I wanted. I kept trying to test how close I could get to wanting to shag the shit out of her without doing it. It was like something out of an erotic fantasy, and I was getting lost in it. However, I had to remember what this really was. I had to remember that I had _another _woman in my life.

_Control Link, _I thought, _get control._

Ironically, I felt myself get hard. It didn't make anything any easier.

_Great, _I thought sarcastic, _what the hell kind of control is this?_

Saria apparently felt it, because she smirked when she pulled back.

"Looks like I've found the _real_ Master Sword," she whispered to me.

_That's got to be a recurring theme with the maidens in Hyrule, _I thought, _that is the _second_ reference of my penis to the Master Sword._

Saria kissed me deeper, but I finally maintained some self-control and pulled away.

"I thought you said you weren't going to try anything," I divulged to her, trying to catch my breath.

"I lied," she replied.

Saria tried to kiss me again, but I pulled away and pinned her arms up against the pillows. That probably wasn't a good idea, because I think she liked it. Her legs around my waist tightened just then.

"Oh," she said to me in a deep throaty voice, "you want to take control? Well go on ahead, I like a man who knows what he wants."

_Great, _I thought, _now, she's changing her voice._

I rested my head against her shoulder for a moment, and took in a deep breath. I was frustrated. No, I was beyond frustrated. So much so, I was beginning to rationalize my stance. I pulled back and looked into her eyes for a moment.

_You know what... I could,_ I thought, _I really could,__ and no one would ever know. It could be our little secret... just Saria's and mine.__  
><em>

I stared into her eyes, struggling with my moral compass. I wanted it to point due north, but my gauge down _south _was making this difficult. Even still, I didn't proceed yet. Saria's eyes searched my face.

"What's the matter?" Saria asked, wondering why I was hesitating.

I shook my head as my reply.

"Nothing," I whispered.

"_Don't play with her heart son..." _the bazaar owner's voice suddenly came to mind, and that was when it finally hit me. _I can't do this. I can't use her like that._

Saria tried to release herself from my grip when she saw things weren't going the way she had anticipated.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked me a little impatiently.

I stared into her eyes.

"Calm down," I said to her, feeling my own heart beating rapidly.

She stared back and shook her head no.

"I want you Link," she said to me with no hesitation, "and I know you want me."

"You hardly know me," I replied, ignoring her last comment.

"I know you enough," she said to me.

I shook my head.

"You don't want that Saria," I said, and then added quietly, "I'm... I'm getting married."

She stared into my eyes for a long time, almost as if the realization had just hit her. Her bottom lip quivered suddenly and her eyes fill with tears. She turned her face away from looking at me. I let her hands go and sat up. I pulled her up into my arms and let her cry into my chest.

"It's okay," I said and stroked her hair.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed suddenly, "I-I don't know what came over me."

I squeezed her slightly.

"I understand," I said.

Saria pulled back to stare into my eyes.

"I-I didn't mean to come at you like that," she said with a shaky voice, "please forgive me."

I pressed my forehead against hers and grinned at her.

"You don't have to apologize," I replied.

I held onto her again when abruptly I heard a window break.

_What the... _I thought, letting my mind trail.

I immediately turned to look at my door. I let Saria go and got up from the bed.

"Stay here," I ordered, then opened the door to look down at the living room.

In the middle of the floor was an arrow surrounded by shattered glass. There was a note tied to it. I shut the door, and went and got my spare bow and arrow. Saria's eyes got wide when she saw that.

"What's going on?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"I don't know yet," I replied honestly, "but stay here. I'll let you know when you can come out."

Saria nodded, and got back under the covers.

I readied my bow and opened the door to slowly creep downstairs. I checked the perimeter and saw that no one was there. I then approached the arrow on the floor. I picked it up and untied the message. My eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What?" I heard myself say.

The message said: _I still see you... traitor._

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><p><strong>Please write a review and let me know what you think. The next chapter will be up Saturday.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Inspirations:_ A Few Good Men _"...Do you you want answers?" Jack Nicholson asked. "I think I'm entitled to them!" Tom Cruise replied. If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it lol. It inspired the last part of this chapter. Also too, never assume people, never assume.  
><strong>

**Original Shout Out: ****"S" thanks for reviewing (you have a unique mantra going on with that name lol), and Henslight**

**New Shout Outs: Link-the-lightbringer, Amanda, Fabulanova780, and UltimateOtukuGirl100 thanks for reading new readers.**

**Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012; ADDENDUM Reedited 1/11/2013.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

I stared at the note confused.

_I still see you traitor? _I thought perplexed. _They're referring to me? But how? Why?_

I subsided my perplexity for a moment when I heard a pounding on my front door.

"Sir Link!" a guard called out in alarm. "Are you alright? Sir, please answer your door if you can hear me!"

_I better handle this pronto, _I thought.

I quickly pocketed the message and went to answer the door.

"Sir!" the guard said in relief when he saw me. "Thank the goddess you're alright."

I merely nodded and looked beyond him.

"Did you see who it was?" I asked.

The guard nodded.

"There are several guards giving chase to a rider clothed in all black," he told me, "they've just been dispatched."

I chewed on my bottom lip when he said that.

_Who in the hell is this rider in black? _I thought.

"Report to the captain and tell him to ready his platoon, we're going to scour the countryside," I ordered, "I'll meet with them in half an hour."

"Yes sir," the guard replied, and headed back to the castle.

I closed the door and took in a deep troubled breath.

_What the hell is going on? _I wondered. _First the note to the throne room, now this. Who the hell considers_ me_ a traitor?_

I pondered on the that for a moment, and then a sobering thought went through my mind.

_Wait a minute, _I discerned, _that means the first note was to _me _too._

I felt my eyes inadvertently widen when I realized the implications of the situation. Things were getting more and more convoluted, and they weren't making any sense. I was lost in my introspection, when I finally glanced up and saw Saria standing at the top of the staircase. She was staring down at me concerned.

"What is it?" she asked me, looking worried.

I didn't answer immediately.

_I honestly don't know, _I thought.

Saria got more unsettled with my silence.

"Link…" she trailed, coming down the stairs, "what's going on?"

_That's what I'm trying to figure out,_ I thought.

"Get dressed," I verbalized, not answering her question, "I need to get you home."

Saria halted and looked at me puzzled.

"Now?" she asked.

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Yes, now," I replied, not meaning to be short, but really, I was too preoccupied with what just transpired.

Saria didn't say another thing. She just nodded, and went to gather her things. I watched her for a moment, but then turned my attention back to my broken window.

"_You have no idea what's going on around you, do you?" _Zant's voice echoed through my mind.

I swallowed hard at the cryptic premonition.

_None of this makes sense, _I thought.

"You might be right Zant," I said to myself, then went and changed into a fresh green tunic and boots. "You just might be right, you crazy bastard."

Saria came out of my room fully dressed a few minutes later. She was rewrapping her headdress while she was walking down the stairs. She hurried to gather her satchel, then came and stood in front of me.

"I'm ready," she said.

I nodded.

"Let's go," I said.

We left my villa through the back door, and exited Castle Town via the alleyways. We had to be cautious because the guard was doubled. When the area was clear, we head for the drawbridge. Once we were out on Hyrule Field, I called for Epona. I helped Saria on my strong mare, and giddied in haste to Kakariko impasse. We arrived at the village passage just before dawn. Saria dismounted and scuttled up the steps. She turned around and looked at me before going in with slight distress in her eyes.

_I know just how you feel, _I thought.

"Please, be careful," she said to me.

I stared into her pretty eyes and nodded.

"I will," I replied, trying to grin, "get inside, I'll see you later."

I then turned and rode off.

Saria stood and stared after me for a moment, before venturing up the stairs to Kakariko Village.

~SSS~

Actions of a Slave: The Assassin's Narrative

The killer walked up an incline over the foliage bare ground and started for their resting place. However, they stopped walking when they noticed something they weren't expecting.

_What's this? _the assassin thought, looking at a specific box that was never usually out of place.

The slave made it a point to memorize all the typography and land mappings of all the forests and the nearby towns. When anything was out of place, they knew.

_Is my employer trying to contact me again? _the killer wondered.

Knowing there was only one way to find out, the assassin walked over to the disturbed crate and looked beyond it. The killer raised their eyebrows when they saw there was a package waiting for them.

_It was just as I thought, _they pondered and went to pick up the box.

The assassin opened the lid to the small box and saw that there was a stationery inside. The slave read the contents, then quickly moved the crate back to its normal position.

_Well, _the killer thought, _isn't this interesting. It looks like my employer wants to expand the chest board. _

The assassin pocketed the note and looked at the rising sun.

_It's your move now, white knight of Hyrule, _the slave thought, _but you better be careful, because the winds and dragons are coming for you. They're coming, and you're about to be ensnared._

With that, the killer took off running before the sun gave away their presence.

~SSS~

Saria's POV

I opened the door slowly to the shop and peered inside. My heart was beating fast because I was nervous, thinking gramps was up waiting for me. Fortunately, the room was dark and there was no evidence of his presence anywhere. I went inside and closed the door quietly behind me. I crept across the room to the stairwell in the back leading to the upstairs bedrooms. However, before I could get there, a lantern was lit from the other side of the room. I turned at the illumination in surprise. My heart was pounding a million beats per second when I saw gramps's disapproving facial expression.

_Oh no, _I thought.

"H-hey," I tried to sound casual, "what are you doing up?"

Gramps didn't hide his disregard. He even seemed insulted that I tried such an approach.

"You know very well why I'm up!" he stated. "I was worried sick about you!"

I took in a sigh at his tone.

_Was I really expecting any different? _I wondered.

"I'm sorry gramps," I apologized, "I got sick, and needed to rest."

His eyes got wide when he heard me say that.

"You're sorry?" he repeated. "Saria, do you have any idea what people are saying about you?" he demanded. "I've been doing damage control since you left. Everyone knew you left with master Link! Everyone!"

I felt my throat tighten when he said that.

_Is that why...? _a strange thought came and went through my head, but I didn't share it.

I looked away from him.

"I can't worry about that," I said, "I didn't do anything wrong."

Gramps was shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter!" he said upset, but then tried to calm down. He took in a deep breath, and came over to where I was standing. "Saria, my dear, I'm afraid for you. You have no idea how important that young man is."

I raised my eyebrows.

_Yes, _I thought, _I do."_

"Gramps, it isn't a big deal," I tried to reassure.

He grunted upset.

"You keep fooling yourself with that idiotic stance," he divulged, "what you do doesn't just effect you Saria."

_What is he talking about? _I wondered, but didn't ask.

"Well, as idiotic as you may think it is," I said, "you won't have to worry about anything gramps, we're only friends."

He gave me a serious look just then. I tried not to be bothered by his gaze, but that was proving impossible.

_What's this? _I wondered.

"No Saria, I am worried," he said to me, "I think the matter just got much more grave."

I gave him a puzzled look when he said that, but then realized why when he reached in his pocket and pulled out a royal stationery. My eyes widened at the sight of it.

_Wait a minute... _I thought confused, _is that...? _

"What is that?" I asked, thinking I already knew.

Gramps sighed and handed it to me.

"I have no idea what the contents are," he said, "I just know a royal guard came and delivered this personally. He left me with strict instructions that I give it to you."

I swallowed hard at hearing that.

_What could this mean? _I wondered, and didn't waste time waiting to find out.

I tore open the seal and scanned the letter.

_Oh no, _I thought.

I felt my heart flutter for a moment. I had to sit down before I fell over. Gramps saw the look on my face, and his concern never went away.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I shook my head and looked at him.

"You're right gramps," I whispered, "the matter _just_ got more grave."

~SSS~

A Half an Hour Later: Link's POV

I rode back to the drawbridge and noticed the captain of the guard giving me a offhanded look.

_What's this all about? _I wondered.

"Is there a problem?" I asked him when I approached.

The captain looked beyond me to where I had come from.

"I had no idea you left Castle Town already," he replied, "I just saw you ride in from the north which, quite frankly, is odd."

_Divert this Link, _I told myself.

I raised my eyebrows.

"There are stranger things captain," I said to him, about to drop the matter, "like hooded archers getting past our defenses. I suggest you focus on that defect, and let me worry about where I ride."

The captain looked at me surprised and that effectively shut him up.

"Your orders?" he asked, redirecting his concerns.

_That's more like it, _I thought.

"We going to search the forests," I said, "particularly Faron Woods. I believe whoever did this is probably dwelling there."

"Yes sir!" the captain replied.

The platoon broke off and rode south east. We spent the next several hours searching and questioning anyone who looked remotely suspicious. Most everyone we halted had no clue as to why we were questioning them, and it didn't help that we had to be evasive. I was hoping something would come of the endeavor, but it seemed like another dead end. Whoever was doing this was a trained professional. I couldn't help but think about where he had been hiding this entire time. He vanished, then suddenly resurfaced after two and a half months of inactivity. The threat of Ganondorf was gone, true, but now this Zant character and whoever was working with him was trying to make their move.

"_The encroachment has begun," _I remembered the assassin's words. _If you're infringing on our territory then where the hell are you?_

After all the dead ends and seemingly breached resources, I called off the search. I made more progress by myself yesterday, and that was purely by coincidence. I knew I was going to have to take matters in my own hands. Why would a hunter come out of hiding if he can see my entire platoon coming from a mile away? It was ridiculous to think such.

_This is going to need more intimate handling, _I thought, _I have to do this alone._

However, that wasn't my only concern, I needed to speak with Daphnes. Whatever he was hiding I needed to know, and I needed to know it _now. _Before heading to Castle Town however, I decided to go to Kakariko Village and check on Saria. I knew I had only dropped her off a few hours ago, but I wanted to make sure she was okay. The other night was… pretty intense. I wanted to dispel any uncomfortable feelings either one of us had with immediacy. I didn't want something like the other night to ruin our friendship. I cared too much about what was forming between us to let it go to the wayside over a silly mistake.

_Saria's too good of a person to be treated like that, _I thought. _I'm sure she understands why we had to stop._

I dismounted and headed into the village. Unfortunately, the person I think hated me the most was there to greet me, Cujo. I tried to ignore him, but strangely when I tried to walk by him he stepped in my path.

_What's all this about? _I wondered.

I took in a deep irritated breath.

"I don't have time for this Cujo," I said to him with a raised brow, "I'm busy."

Cujo gave me a cold stare, and narrowed his myopic blue eyes.

"If anything happens to her because of your selfishness…" he trailed.

I looked at him puzzled just then, because he actually sounded lucid.

_What is he talking about? _I wondered.

"I don't understand," I said to him perplexed, "what are you referring to?"

Cujo nodded knowingly and pursed his lips together.

"I _saw_ her come in at dawn," he accused, "she _better _be okay!"

It took me a moment to catch what he was saying, but then I realized he was speaking about Saria.

_He saw her come home? _I thought, but then felt a sudden pang of worry. I didn't want to believe it, but he was actually making sense. _If he saw her come in, __I wonder who else was watching her._

"You... didn't tell anyone, did you Cujo?" I asked.

Cujo got indignant at that.

"And what if I did?" he demanded.

I was frustrated with his answer. I didn't need this right now. _Saria _didn't need this right now.

"If you did, you're only making things hard for Ms. Saria," I said, "you know not everyone cares about her the way you do. If you told anyone something benign, there's no telling what they'll do to her."

Cujo scoffed at my words.

"I didn't tell anyone anything!" he divulged finally. "I just don't want her getting hurt!"

Even though he was completely nuts, I thought that was very kind of him.

_At least he's looking out for her, _I pondered.

"I wouldn't hurt Saria, Cujo," I reassured him, "she's my friend. She got sick, so I took care of her before I dropped her off."

The expression on his face only got more repulsed. I probably was better off not explaining anything to him because it didn't seem to ease his mind.

"That's _all_ that had better been taken care of!" he threatened, and then abruptly walked away.

I stared after him and inadvertently felt a terrible sense of dread well into my stomach.

_If_ he_ sees a problem, then I can only imagine what the sane town's people must think, _I thought.

I sighed, having to let that go, and continued on my way to the shop. However, I stopped momentarily to greet the woman I had seen a couple months ago when she was receiving her dress consultation.

_Let's see if my concern has any weight, _I thought, wanting to assess the situation.

"Good morning madam," I greeted her with a smile.

The woman stopped short of me and gave me a long once over. Her face had unhidden icy disdain.

"Good morning master Link," she replied without any emotion.

I paused and looked at her strange for a moment.

_Oh boy, _I thought.

"Is… your family well?" I went on, trying to understand her aloofness.

She looked at me upset. Apparently, this woman felt I had no reason to be inquiring about her affairs.

"Quite well, good sir," she said to me, then added, "how's _yours_?"

I tried to keep my expression stoic, but my inquiry turned to perception.

_She knows I don't have any family, _I thought, _she's obviously referring to something else, but my question is: what? Did everyone stay up to see what time Saria came home? My goddess, don't they have other things better to do with their time, than to wonder about one woman?__  
><em>

"Uh…" I trailed, feeling a little uncomfortable with the inflection in her tone, "the king and the princess are fine, thank you for asking."

I noticed she narrowed her eyes slightly when I said that. It was almost as if I had garnered her full disapproval with my words.

"You be sure to take _good _care of our princess," she said, "I'm sure that's at the _forefront_ of your thoughts."

I raised my eyebrows at her direct dig at me character, but decided not to take it any further.

_I have to get to the bottom of this, _I thought.

"Um… I will," I said, then bowed my head at her, "I bid you good day."

She turned her nose up slightly.

"Hmph!" she grunted and walked away.

I watched after her for a moment, and the unsettled feeling never went away.

_If what happened last night_ did_ get out, how the hell did it spread so quickly? _I wondered. _Who could have possibly known that...?_ I stopped my recourse for a moment, and had an obvious epiphany just then._That damn guard!_

I quickly decided it was in my best interest to ignore everyone and head straight for the dress shop.

_If the people are doing this to _me_ I can only imagine how they are treating Saria, _I thought.

I hurried up the stairs. On the way up, I was receiving oblong stares from everyone.

_This is bad, _I thought, ignoring everyone, _I can only picture what Castle Town is going to be like._

I opened the door and saw Saria behind the counter. She had a semi distressed look on her face, and she blushed when she saw me. I noticed she was reading a letter. Actually, it looked like she'd _been_ reading it, because it was stationed in the pocket at the front of her dress. When she saw me, she quickly put it away. I did a quick scan of the room and noticed several wooden crates, and packing utensils.

_What in the world…? _I wondered. _What's going on?_

I tried to act natural, and nodded when I saw the elderly shop owner, but he only glared back.

_Great, _I thought sarcastic, _now even he is upset with me._

I turned my attention back to Saria.

"Hey," I said quietly.

She stroked her hands through her hair with unease.

"Hey," she replied back.

Saria looked nervous and uncomfortable.

_This is what I didn't want for her, _I thought, feeling a measure of guilt.

"Can you talk?" I asked, realizing that probably wasn't the best thing to do.

Saria looked at me worried and didn't answer. She glanced over to the adjacent counter where the old man was standing. I nodded, showing I understood her concern. Saria then pointed for me to follow her to the store room. I went and followed her immediately. The old man was watching us suspiciously.

_This is worse than I thought, _I pondered.

"He's just going to help me take down a bin," Saria reassured him.

She took hold of my hand, and hurried me inside the storage room. She turned on the lantern used to light up the closet, and quickly shut the door behind us. When we were alone, she kept her voice low and raised her eyebrows upset.

"What are you doing here?" she asked me alarmed.

I understood her tone. Visiting her like this wasn't the smartest thing for me to do, considering the current situation. However, I wasn't just going to abandon her to the naysayers. That wasn't the kind of friend I was.

"What's going on?" I asked, ignoring her question.

She swallowed hard and anxiously stroked her hair behind her ears.

"I-I'm moving," she said quietly.

I couldn't hide my shock.

_Moving? _I thought perplexed.

"What?" I demanded with a slightly raised voice.

"Shh!" Saria hushed me, then looked back down at her hands. "He'll hear you!"

I couldn't believe it.

"Where are you going to go?" I asked.

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders in doubt.

"Lake Hylia I guess," she said quietly, "I really don't know."

"Lake Hylia?" I repeated incredulous.

I knew there was no way she would be able to make a living by moving to Lake Hylia. No one would commute all that way to have a dress made.

No one.

_Why would Daphnes do something like this to her? _I pondered angrily, perceiving it was the king's anger that precipitated these actions.

"Who the hell is going to buy your dresses out there?" I asked upset. "The Zoras?"

Saria was quiet for a moment.

"It's okay," she said finally, "I just got the okay for a really huge contract."

I looked at her puzzled.

"What contract?" I asked.

Saria bit her lower lip.

"To make the princess's coronation dress," she replied quietly.

I looked at her dumbfounded.

_I thought it was going to be made by a seamstress from Gerudo Valley, _I thought. _This doesn't make any sense!_ _Damn you Daphnes!_

"The king commissioned you?" I asked in disbelief.

She didn't reply right away.

"It wasn't the king," she said quietly.

I looked at her flummoxed.

_What? _I thought.

"Well, then who?" I asked, already having an idea, but not letting it be made known.

Saria looked away from me, not wanting to answer.

_Why is she hesitating? _I thought.

"Who commissioned you Saria?" I asked a little impatient.

"It was… it was the princess," she divulged finally.

I drew back a little, surprised by the revelation.

_Wait a minute, what?_ I wondered bewildered._ The princess? _

"What?" I demanded, needing to hear that again.

She wouldn't look at me.

"I was commissioned by the princess," Saria repeated.

I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it.

"Under what conditions?" I demanded.

Saria pursed her lips together.

"Under the condition that I never see you again," she said to me.

I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me just then. This didn't make any sense to me. A simple accusation of what 'could have' transpired between Saria and I, wouldn't warrant such an irrational reaction from the princess. She wasn't that kind of woman.

_Zelda wouldn't do something like this, _I thought incredulous, _she wouldn't deliberately try to hurt someone._

"That-that can't be true!" I said dubiously. "There must be a misunderstanding."

Saria raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

"It's true," she said quietly, "I wish I could say otherwise."

I didn't like this, and I didn't like the idea of the princess being accused of such erroneous things. She wasn't a petty, childish person, and she certainly wouldn't undermine someone's livelihood over a misconception. I felt a sudden wave of indignation run through me on my fiance's behalf.

_I'm not going to let that slide, _I thought.

"There has to be a mistake," I insisted, "Zelda isn't capable of such things."

Saria looked up into my eyes, and was taken aback by my words and tone just then. She took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you... are you accusing me of making it up?" she asked.

I stared back into her eyes and didn't want to verbalize it, but that was exactly what I was thinking. There was something about this situation that wasn't sitting right with me.

"Saria..." I trailed, not finishing.

Saria dropped her mouth slightly in disbelief, and narrowed her eyes at me.

"I can't believe you would think something like that about me," she said slightly upset, "why would I make something like this up?"

That was a good question, and one I didn't answer right away. I did have my suspicions about her, and I was trying to see if they were warranted or not. Ever since she acted the way she did last night, my view changed of her a little bit. I knew that wasn't exactly fair, but I'd been propositioned too many times, by too many beautiful women not to recognize the same song and dance when something was amiss. When I interrogated loose girls and brothel dwellers for crimes, the first thing they did was relate it back to some deficiency in the other woman. I wasn't stating those determinants weren't true, maybe they were. However, there was always a pattern of insecurity with women like that: they come at a man, the man rejects them, they start badgering the other woman, and it becomes cyclical. They always blame someone else for why they act the way they do. It seemed a bit extreme of me to have Saria comped in with women like that, but now I felt as though I didn't have a choice. I still thought she was a beautiful, sweet girl, but the way she tried to seduce me was in line with behaviors of women like that. Now, with this accusation on Zelda's character I was on guard.

"Saria-" I tried.

"No!" she interrupted, clearly upset that I insinuated such a thing. "I want you to answer me."

I narrowed my eyes slightly, and took in a deep breath.

_No, you don't, _I thought.

"Saria..." I trailed with a sigh, "come on, this isn't like you."

Her eyes widened at my words.

"So, you _do _think I'm lying!" she accused, she scoffed and shook her head. "Wow, and here I thought you would believe me!" she said. "Why don't you just say what you really mean then Link? It's obvious you think contrary to what I'm telling you!"

The anger in her voice I thought was unwarranted and unnecessary.

_She doesn't have to pump up the theatrics for me, _I thought, _I can already see through it. _

"Look," I said, trying to come in at this from a reasonable angle, "I probably said that wrong-"

"Don't give me that!" she interrupted again. "Don't try to be politically correct with me! I want you to say what you really feel!"

I raised an eyebrow and felt my composure starting to wane. I was getting tired of this. I didn't like to argue with people I cared about, and right now Saria was pushing it.

"Saria..." I trailed again as a warning.

The expression on her face never changed.

"Just say it Link!" she demanded.

I looked away from her for a moment and took in a deep frustrated breath. I didn't want to talk about this like this, but it seemed I was being given no choice.

_Give her what she wants, _I thought.

"Okay, fine," I said with a nonchalant shrug, "are you just saying this because you're angry at me because of yesterday?" I demanded suddenly, not beating around the bush and saying exactly what I meant.

Saria looked up at me surprised. Her eyes widened slightly.

"What?" she replied incredulous.

I didn't answer her and looked away for a moment. I didn't want to take the conversation in that direction, but it seemed it I had no choice.

"You heard me," I muttered, without looking at her.

Saria got indignant just then.

"Why would I uproot my entire life just to get a rise out of you?" she demanded. "I don't have to lie to you! Last night had nothing to do with this! It was just a stupid mistake! I thought you of all people would understand that! Why would I need to lie to you over a stupid mistake?"

I looked back over at her, and didn't know what came over me suddenly. I felt my breath accelerate, and a surge of anger flow through me. I didn't know where it came from, or why exactly, but it was there. Maybe it was the stress of the ongoing investigation. Maybe it was the indignation I felt for Zelda's honor. Or, maybe it was the idea of me being a 'stupid mistake' as Saria put it. I was a man. I had my pride, and one thing I absolutely couldn't stand was when people used other people for primal satisfaction. It didn't matter why, or for what reason, I just didn't like it. Being a hero, I understood that empty feeling all too well, and to be considered a 'stupid mistake,' or another 'would be' conquest of Saria's, made that dormant insecurity of mine resurface within me. It made me think of what she said to me when I had her pinned against my pillows.

_"I like it when a man knows what he wants..." _her voice echoed through my mind. _You like that, huh? _I thought upset. _Well, I'll just test that notion._

"But you would lie to me, wouldn't you!" I started in a rather nasty manner. "It looks like I had you pegged wrong from the start, didn't I? You had me fooled, didn't you? I thought you were a good, decent girl. It turns out you're nothing more than an insecure, man leech! You'll do whatever it takes to hurt someone else just as long as you get satisfaction! I didn't think you were that type, but I guess I was wrong! Don't try to be vindictive towards Zelda because I rejected you!"

Saria's eyes widened and she stared at me in complete disbelief. She took another step back, and her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked several times so she wouldn't cry. She trembled slightly as my words registered in her head. She uncrossed her arms, and abruptly slapped me across the face hard... as hard as she could it seemed. The force behind it _forced_ my face in the opposite direction. I wasn't going to lie, that hurt. For a girl with a slender build, that was one hell of a hit, but considering she fought so well, I wasn't surprised.

_I guess I had that coming, _I thought.

"How-how dare you!" she said to me angrily. "Who told you to come in here and bother me?" she shot back. "I am _none_ of those things you accused me of being! I am _not _a man leech! I only went with you yesterday because I thought you wanted to help me! If you hadn't come here insisting that I-" she didn't finish because she felt herself getting emotional. "Get the hell out of here, you bastard!" she screamed at me, not caring if the old man heard.

I kept my face turned away as the stinging subsided. I was angry with myself because I didn't use more rational judgement. I knew I was out of line with my comments, and I only said those things to her because I was upset. I didn't mean any of it.

_Why did I say those things to her? _I thought. _She didn't deserve that._

All of a sudden, the door to the storage closet opened and the old man glared at me.

"What the hell is going on in here?" he demanded.

I swallowed hard and didn't answer.

_Great, _I thought, _things are going from bad to worse._

Saria covered her mouth as tears refilled her eyes. She hurried out the storage room past the old man.

"_Sir_ Link was just leaving," she replied with her voice breaking.

I stood there, wishing I had bitten my tongue.

_Damn it! _I thought, angry at myself.

The old man narrowed his eyes at me.

"I blame you for this," the bazaar owner said to me, "if she hadn't met you, she'd still be able to stay here!"

I pursed my lips frustrated, hating the ring of truth behind his words.

_He's right, _I thought.

The old man stepped aside to clear my passage way.

"Get out," he said to me quietly.

I looked at him, not really blaming him for being upset with me.

_I just hurt someone he loves, _I thought.

I merely nodded, and quickly move past him, but I paused when I saw Saria's back to me at her soon to be vacant counter.

"Saria-" I tried, wanting to apologize.

"Just go," she interrupted, not looking at me.

I stared at her and took in a deep, unsettling breath, and decided to just go, but before I left Saria spoke again.

"Maybe you don't know your princess as well as you think you do Link," she said to me cryptically.

I turned back to look at her, her back was still to me. I didn't let it show, but I couldn't but feel a sense of a premonition coming from her words. However, I chose to ignore it.

_Zelda wouldn't do something like that, _I thought with finality, _she isn't that kind of person._

I didn't reply and I exited.

~SSS~

The ride back to Castle Town was a hard one, and it was noon when I arrived. I walked towards my villa, seriously regretting that latest encounter with Saria.

_I was out of line, _I thought with guilt, _I said some very hateful things to her._ _I wouldn't be surprised if she hated me now._

I walked through the town square and immediately noticed the scrutiny I was under.

_I knew it would be like this, _I thought, _I'm going to kill that guard when I find out his rank and station._

I tried to take it sagaciously and ignore it, but I was in no mood for the theatrics.

_These people have no idea, _I thought, _they only want to know what they want to know._

Before I headed home, I headed to the general bazaar on the west side of town to buy a new glass for my broken window. I entered the shop and the burly gentleman who was usually warm and friendly, froze up.

_Great,_ I thought sarcastic.

"Good afternoon," I tried to greet him.

He eyed me for a moment.

"Good afternoon," he said to me stiffly.

I stared at him for a minute, but just let it pass.

_Whatever, _I thought, _I don't have time for this._

"I need some glass," I said, getting to the point.

He raised his eyebrows at me knowingly.

"Yes," he replied dry, "I heard, about the uh... the _incident_ yesterday."

I merely stared at him, sensing the undercurrent of sarcasm.

_Just go about your business Link, _I thought.

"Do you have any?" I asked, ignoring his tone.

The man merely nodded and went to get it. When he came, back he set it down on the counter. I looked it over to make sure it was what I needed.

"How much?" I asked, wanting to get it and get out of there.

"Fifty rupees," he said quickly.

I raised my eyebrows.

_For glass?_ I thought, remembering it being priced for thirty rupees. _What the hell is it made of? Golden sand?_

"Is it newly reinforced?" I asked, not trying to get hustled.

The man shook his head no.

"Then why the price hike?" I asked.

He stared at me and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Fine," he said to me, "thirty rupees."

_That's right, you ingrate, _I thought with irritation.

I shook my head, frustrated with his attitude, but instead of wasting energy worrying about it, I paid him the thirty rupees and left.

_I should expect this kind of treatment for a while, _I thought, quickly walking through town square, _especially if everyone knows what happened… or_ thinks_ they know what happened._

The staring and whispering never abated, the only way I could ignore it, was to hood myself. I headed to back to my villa in a hurry. I took in a deep breath when I closed my door.

_I need to see Zelda, _I thought all of a sudden, _I need to see her and know she's okay, and I need to talk to the king._

It was a good thing I had already promised to spend time with the princess that day. I was going to head over to the castle after I fixed my window. I finished the first task without any issue. The glass fit perfectly in the frame and I saved myself twenty rupees. I then washed up, shaved, and changed into my blue tunic. Zelda always told me she liked how I looked in blue.

_I hope Zelda is a lot more civil than the town's folks, _I thought.

I left my villa and went to Hyrule Castle via the square. On my way there, I received a few scoffs and head shakings of disapproval.  
>I ignored it, but I knew the influence of this attitude was permeating throughout the castle. I sighed realizing I had to make the best of it. When I got past the gate, I headed into the garden where I knew Zelda would be.<p>

Zelda turned when she heard me approach, and a huge smile spread across her face. I smiled back, not being able to help myself, it was infectious. She then ran up to me, and practically jumped into my arms. She kissed me immediately. I raised my eyebrows surprised.

_Someone is happy to see me, _I thought with a smirk, and kissed her back.

When she pulled away she stared into my eyes.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said to me happily, "you have no idea how much I've been looking forward to today."

When she said that, I felt a slight pang of guilt.

_She's so honest with her feelings, _I thought.

"I've missed you too princess," I replied.

Zelda quickly took my hand.

"Come," she said, "I've prepared a lunch and carriage to take us some place special. I've made sure the chef prepared all your favorites."

I smiled at her, feeling the remorse swell inside me.

_Why didn't I thin yesterday through better? _I wondered.

"All my favorites, huh?" I said.

"Yes," she said, her smile never leaving, "I want today to be perfect."

I almost couldn't stand myself.

_Does she not know? _I wondered.

"It will be perfect," I promised.

Zelda smiled wider and reached up to kiss me again.

"I know it will," she said, when she pulled away.

We then left the garden and exited through the side entrance adjacent to the north end of Hyrule field.

We rode for several miles and stopped near the entrance of Lake Hylia. When we descended, Zelda took it upon herself to set up the blanket and picnic. I tried to help, but she wouldn't have it. She wouldn't even allow the servants to help her, and once she was done, she sent them away.

"Come back for us at dusk," she told them.

The servants merely nodded and rode away. Zelda then turned to me. She came up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Now I have you all to myself," she said softly.

I knew I should've been ecstatic that she was being so civil, but honestly I found it a little strange.

_Does she_ really_ not know? _I wondered.

"Zelda-" I began.

She put a finger to my lips.

"None of that," she interrupted, "no serious talk today."

I stared into her eyes and felt extremely culpable.

"Okay," I replied, putting my arms around her waist, "what would you like to talk about?"

Zelda smiled at my inherent interest in her.

"I just want you and I to be at peace today," she said, "we'll shut everything out, except for the two of us, okay."

I nodded.

"Okay," I said, "that sounds good to me."

Zelda then gestured for me to sit down and began to fixing me a plate. All this attention she was giving me was making me uneasy. It was a little unorthodox, even for her.

"Zelda you don't have to cater to me," I said to her, feeling a little uncomfortable with the most powerful woman in the country waiting on me hand and foot.

She smiled at me.

"I want to," she said simply, and then put my plate aside for a second and nuzzled up close to me. "You don't seem to understand how a woman's mind works."

_You are most certainly right about that, _I thought.

"That's true," I replied.

She stared into my eyes.

"I want to take care of you," she whispered to me, "you're the best thing in my life right now, Link. You have no idea how much I need you."

I looked at her somberly and kissed her nose. One thing I always admired about Zelda is that she was always true to herself. She never smudged herself with variances on her core personality. She was who she was, and she was a woman who felt and cared deeply.

_It should be treason to be this faithful, _I thought.

"I need you too," I whispered back; I was sincere with that.

I did need her, she helped me stay sane. She grinned at me and pecked me softly on the lips. She then edged back to continue preparing my plate.

"I think the only thing I love more than you, is Hyrule," she said absently, putting a roasted pheasant leg and some grapes on a plate and handing it to me.

I raised my eyebrows and nodded.

"That's to be expected," I replied taking the plate from her, "she's your mother country, and you're a descendant of the goddess herself."

Zelda paused for a moment and looked out at the horizon. She pulled her knees to her chest and looked at the grassy expanses as the wind blew in her hair.

"Isn't she beautiful Link?" she whispered abruptly. "Would you not give your life for her?"

I looked at Zelda seriously and admired her unrelenting spirit, then gazed out at Hyrule field per her request. The blue sky hovered its sapphire brilliance, over the green open landscapes and pockets of woodlands. With Gerudo Desert and Death Mountain stationed in the background.

_Hyrule is beautiful, _I thought.

"Of course," I said, "I'd die for her Zelda."

Zelda looked back over at me when I said that.

"I know you would," she said seriously, "and so would I. I will do anything to protect her from her enemies. That is my duty as a sage."

I nodded and looked at her, I was surprised at the sudden shift into the serious conversation. It was actually too serious for my liking. After what had taken place earlier, I wanted to stay as far away from contrite subjects as possible. I decided to change the subject.

_There's no way this woman would do anything to hurt anyone, _I thought, thinking about my previous conversation with Saria. _There has to be another explanation._

"So, tell me about the coronation ceremony," I said abruptly.

Zelda put some grapes on a tray for herself and sat next to me.

"The coronation is royal rite that every princess must initiate to become queen of Hyrule," Zelda began, "I have to prove I'm worthy to be queen."

I looked at her puzzled, but then smiled.

"I would say you've already done that," I replied candidly, "you've kept the seal intact, you've warned your father about Ganondorf, and you've helped me as Sheik. No one can deny whether or not you are worthy."

Zelda smiled at me.

"Thank you Link," she replied, "but even still, there is another danger on the horizon and I must stop it."

I sighed when she said that.

_The Interlopers, _I thought.

There was a certain undercurrent of urgency in her tone that wasn't there before. I put my plate down, and took her in my arms.

"You won't face that alone," I whispered against her hair, "with my dying breath I will protect Hyrule and you."

I felt her cling to me in relief when I said that.

"Thank you," she said, "you have no idea how much that means to me."

I squeezed her softly.

_She's carrying such a heavy burden as a sage, _I thought. _It's similar to what I have to deal with as the hero. _

Even still, the mood was too dense. I wanted to get away from this.

"Enough with this serious talk, let's talk about your coronation ceremony," I said, changing the subject, "what exactly does it entail?"

Zelda smiled and shrugged.

"Well, it's just a role play really," she replied, "I dress up as Hylia and the people come to pay me my thanks. I'm doing it midsummer's day, one month before the engagement party."

I raised my eyebrows surprised.

"That's next month," I said, not realizing how quick the time went by.

"Yes," she replied with a smile, "I know."

I knew I told Zelda to inform me when the arrangements were made. However, it seemed lost track of the time. We spent the next few hours discussing plans for the wedding and who was coming to the engagement party. I smiled at Zelda, grateful she had something to be happy about, but even as I sat there with her, I couldn't shake Saria's words from my mind.

_There has to be a misunderstanding, _I thought, _there has to be some reason._

"So…" I began, "did you ever contact that Gerudo seamstress you were telling me about?"

Zelda nodded.

"Yes, actually I did," she replied matter-of-fact, "she told me she'd be honored to design my wedding dress."

I grinned when she said that.

"I knew she would," I replied.

Zelda snuggled closer to me.

"You did say that, didn't you?" she said to me happily.

We were silent for a few moments, quietly enjoying the soon to be sunset. I hesitated for a moment, not knowing if I should ask about the dress for the coronation, but decided to anyway.

_Why not? _I thought.

"Is... she making your dress for the coronation as well?" I asked suddenly, trying to sound casual.

I noticed a subtle shift in Zelda's manner when I asked her that. She stiffened slightly in my arms.

_What's this? _I thought.

"I went to her for just my wedding dress," she said simply.

I raised my eyebrows in expectance, waiting for her to go on, but she didn't.

"So…" I trailed, "who's making your dress for the coronation? Did you find someone new?"

Zelda got quiet after I asked that.

"Yes, I found someone new," she replied.

I knew she was trying to be evasive, the question was: why?

"So, who's making it for you?" I asked.

Zelda wrapped her arms around my waist, and rested her head against my chest just then.

"I'm bored of this subject," she said, "let's talk about something else."

Now, I knew for a certain she was trying to avoid the discussion.

_This isn't like her, _I thought.

"No Zelda," I said, pulling her back so I could look into her eyes, "I want you to answer my question."

Zelda stared at me surprised for a moment, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Why?" she asked all of a sudden, her voice had lost a little of its softness.

_What is this change in attitude about? _I wondered.

"No reason," I said, "I'd just like to know."

She stared into my eyes for a long time.

"So... why worry about it, my love?" she replied. "Isn't the important thing that I look beautiful?"

I drew back a little sensing a hint of duplicity.

_Oh no, _I thought.

"I'm always going to think you look beautiful," I replied, "what I don't understand is, why you're making such a big deal about telling me the name of the seamstress."

Zelda turned away and huffed upset.

"And _I_ don't understand why you're all of a sudden interested in women's attire," she shot back, a little more forcefully than I think even she intended to.

I looked at her feeling an abrupt sense of dread.

_Was Saria right? _I thought.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

Zelda forced a smile across her face after I asked her that.

"I'm fine," she replied.

I stared into her eyes.

"Then, why are you being so defensive?" I asked point blank.

She looked away.

"I'm not," she said quickly.

_Yes, you are, _I thought.

"Then, tell me who's making your dress," I said, not letting up.

Maybe it was my tone because her eyes narrowed immediately.

"Why?" she demanded sharply. "Do you _already _know who it is Link?"

Her tone surprised me.

"What?" I asked, trying to be evasive myself now.

"Why are you so concerned about my dress?" she demanded abruptly. "Why are you bringing this up so suddenly Link?"

I couldn't believe how upset she was getting.

"Zelda-" I tried.

"Have you been to see _her_?" she interrupted, getting up. "Did _she_ complain to you about not being able to see you anymore?"

I looked at her shocked.

_It's true? _I thought in disbelief.

"You-you actually told her that?" I asked incredulously, getting up myself now.

Zelda swallowed hard and looked away.

"I know all about you and that seamstress Link," she divulged, "I've known for quite some time now."

I was dumbfounded, the entire time she was playing me for a fool.

"Are you… are you insane?" I couldn't think of anything else to say. "How could you do that? Saria doesn't deserve that. You may have butchered her chances of making a living! You don't even know what happened!"

Zelda looked like she was ready to kill me.

"Is that her name?" she demanded. "Saria?"

"Yes!" I defended, losing my cool.

"I've tried with all my might to overlook your betrayal to me yesterday, and this is the thanks I get?" she demanded.

I lost my composure at that.

"What betrayal?" I shot back. "I saved a friend from dying, that's all! Is a good deed considered a betrayal to you, princess?"

Zelda nodded egregiously.

"Of course my love," she said sarcastic, "_after_ you took her on a rendezvous to who knows where!"

I took a step back and raised my eyebrows in alarm when she divulged that.

_Wait a minute, what? _I thought.

"How do you know that?" I demanded.

Zelda stiffened, realizing she had said too much.

"How do I know what?" she asked, trying to be evasive.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at her suspicious.

"Are you… are you having me watched?" I demanded in disbelief.

Zelda didn't answer immediately.

"You're going to be the future king of Hyrule," she detracted in an adroit fashion.

I was pissed.

"Is that a yes?" I demanded.

Zelda's throat tightened, and she nodded her reply.

"I-I had to," she replied, "I was never seeing you."

I was beyond pissed. I looked away and ran a hand through my hair.

_I can't believe this is happening! _I thought. _I can't believe Zelda would stoop so low!_

"You call this trust?" I said angry. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Zelda looked at me indignant.

"Don't try to blame this all on me!" she replied. "You have plenty to answer for!"

I opened my mouth about to say something, but decided against it.

"You know what," I said disquieted, and backing up, "I don't need this right now."

I then turned, and quickly began walking away.

Zelda eyes widened in horror. As I walked, I saw the carriage approach in the opposite direction.

"Link wait!" she called out to me immediately running after me. "The carriage is here!"

_I don't want to ride in your damn carriage, _I thought upset.

I didn't stop, I wanted to get away from there as quickly as possible.

_I can't believe she was having me watched! _I thought. _All this time, I thought it was Daphnes._

"Link!" she called out to me, she sounded desperate.

I still didn't stop.

Zelda paused, watching me in disbelief.

"By my authority as princess of Hyrule I command you to stop!" she said authoritatively, knowing her best trump card was her power.

I closed my eyes, hating my innate obedience as a soldier and stopped. I also didn't want to make more of a scene in front of her servants than was already being procured.

_This is the last thing I wanted, _I thought.

I heard Zelda quickly hurry towards me. Tears were streaming down her face when she finally faced me.

"You cant-you can't leave!" she said to me with a very broken voice. "We'll go back to the castle together."

I looked away from her hating to see her cry like that. I didn't matter if I was upset, I still didn't like to see her cry.

"Zelda I'm done talking about this," I said quietly, hoping she would move.

Zelda quickly wiped her eyes.

"Please forgive me Link," she begged, "I just never see you anymore, and when the guard told me about that woman I was so distraught. I couldn't imagine you in the arms of another, and I guess my jealousy overtook me."

I didn't reply, I could see out of the corner of my eye the driver whispering something to the door stop.

_Great, this is all we need, _I thought.

"Link please," Zelda said, throwing herself at my chest and wrapping her arms around my waist.

_I can't believe I said those things to Saria when she was telling me the truth, _I thought angry at myself. _I can't believe I hurt her so badly with what I said._

"I don't understand why you had me followed," I said absent, pulling her back to look into her eyes.

"Link…" Zelda trailed with an inflection of helplessness, "I'm sorry."

I stood there quiet for a long moment.

"So am I," I said, and let her go to move past her.

Zelda grabbed at my tunic.

I pulled away.

"No," she whispered fearfully.

I began power walking to Castle Town.

_I can't believe this, _I thought, wishing I had been more prudent, _how could I have been so damn blind?_

"Link!" Zelda called to me.

I didn't turn around.

"Link!" Zelda cried out one last time.

It's no use I was gone, and I was not turning back.

_So much for a perfect day, _I thought upset.

I arrived at Castle Town at dusk stayed in my villa for the rest of the night. I knew I needed to go and apologize to Saria as soon as possible.

~SSS~

The next morning I heard an urgent knock on my door. I rose a little groggy from sleep and slumbered downstairs to answer.

"What is it?" I yawned, wiping my eyes.

The guard saluted and announced his message.

"Sir, his majesty, king Daphnes, requests an immediate audience with you," the soldier told me.

_What? _I thought.

I immediately woke up at hearing that.

_Daphnes wants to speak now? _I wondered.

I nodded, giving the guard my full attention.

"I'll be right there," I said, then closed the door.

_It looks like he's finally ready to talk, _I thought.

I hurried to get ready and went to Hyrule Castle. I was escorted to the counsel room expecting to only see his majesty, but was surprised to see Zelda there as well. They both looked upset.

_What's going on? _I wondered.

I bowed, and exchanged glances between the both of them.

"You called for me my lord?" I asked, addressing Daphnes.

Daphnes stared at me for a moment.

"Yes," he replied, "it seems we have a situation on our hands."

_That's putting it lightly to say the least, _I thought.

"Yes, that is true," I replied.

Daphnes paused.

"So, you are ready to talk of what I speak of?" he said to me cryptically.

"Yes, I am sire," I continued, thinking we're on the same wavelength of thought, "I believe this conversation is long overdue."

Daphnes raised his eyebrows

"Long overdue you say?" he repeated.

I nodded and shrugged in honesty.

"Frankly, yes," I replied.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me in abrupt indignation.

"Then would you care to explain," Daphnes demanded all of a sudden.

I looked at him strange, then shifted my gaze to Zelda. If her eyes could kill, I would have been dead.

_What the hell is going on here? _I wondered.

"I don't understand," I replied confused.

The king narrowed his eyes at me.

"Perhaps I should enlighten you," Daphnes snapped, "there's a rumor of the most unsavory kind being spread about you and a young woman."

I felt my mouth nearly drop. I couldn't believe it, Zelda was so angry about yesterday, she wanted to humiliate me in front of her father.

_I can't believe this! _I thought. _He's referring to _that_ situation? What about Zant? What about the Interlopers?_

My throat tightened in anger.

"With all due respect sire, a rumor is a rumor," I replied.

Daphnes looked at me precociously. He glanced over at his daughter, then back at me.

"Are you making light of this?" he demanded.

_Yes, _I thought with irritation.

"No," I said, "of course not, but to entertain such an insignificant caveat when there are other more pressing matters is ridiculous."

I saw Zelda's eyes widen out of the corner of my eye, and Daphnes rose from his throne and came down a couple steps at my reply. He stared at me like he was ready to strangle me. The feeling of contempt was more than mutual.

_This is insane! _I thought.

The king came down another step before he addressed me.

"My daughter's honor is _not_ an insignificant caveat," Daphnes said to me through nearly clenched teeth. "The respect of the throne is _not_ an insignificant caveat."

I narrowed my eyes slightly, having to control my temper.

"I'm aware of that," I replied.

Daphnes stared at me hard before he asked his next question.

"What happened?" he demanded abruptly.

I swallowed hard, and took in a deep breath.

_Evade Link, _I told myself.

"What are you referring to sire?" I inquired.

"Don't play dumb with me Link!" Daphnes snapped.

_Everyone wants dirty details, _I thought, _well, neither one of them will get that from me._

"The young woman came down with purple chu jelly toxicity," I divulged. "The only remedy is blue potion. I had one at my villa. I gave it to her. She recovered, and has since gone home."

Daphnes was staring at me with indifference once I finished speaking. I didn't care if he believed me one way or the other.

"Why were you out with this young woman?" Daphnes demanded.

I took in a deep breath, and then looked over at Zelda. When our eyes met, she quickly looked away.

_She knows this is wrong, _I thought angry.

"She's a friend," I said simply, "I _am _still allowed to have friends, aren't I?"

Daphnes narrowed his eyes.

"Watch your tone," he said lowly.

"Of course, sire," I said with a hint of sarcasm.

He was silent again, as if deciding whether or not to believe me.

"She had what kind of toxicity?" he asked me again carefully.

_I knew that would get your attention, _I thought.

"Purple chu jelly," I replied.

Daphnes paused his assault for a brief moment.

"That's only native to…" he trailed, muttering to himself.

_Ordon, _I finished for him in my head, _you've got some explaining to do, you bastard._

Daphnes shook his head of his momentary daze.

"That woman stayed the night with you?" he redirected.

_It's like he hadn't heard a word I said! _I thought.

"She-" I tried.

"Answer the question!" Daphnes interrupted explosively.

I looked at him dumbfounded, and had to remember where I was, and what I represented. That nearly flared what little composure I had in that moment.

"Yes," I said finally, "she spent the night at my villa."

I saw out of the corner of my eye Zelda turn away. She started crying. I didn't understand her tears, she hadn't even given me a chance to explain, and now she's hearing about it in the most irrational way possible. I closed my eyes, not wanting to discuss such a controversial matter in such an oblong way.

_This is not how this is supposed to go! _I thought, feeling more and more aggravation.

"And did you make love with this woman?" Daphnes went on relentlessly.

I felt my mouth drop.

"What?" I demanded.

Daphnes came down another step.

"I didn't stutter... boy," he replied, but then added, "now answer the question."

I had to give Daphnes credit, he knew which buttons to push. I looked over at Zelda, she would not look at me.

"No," I said finally, "I did not make love with that woman."

Daphnes stared directly into my eyes.

"Are you lying?" he asked me.

That was it, my composure left me just then.

"Am I lying?" I repeated. "I don't have to lie to you sire. Nothing happened!"

"Watch it!" Daphnes snapped. "You're already on thin ice with me!"

_Oh yeah?_ I thought, about to do the unthinkable._ We're about to see how thin the ice is really going to get. _

I cleared my throat before I proceeded.

"Perhaps his majesty would like to explain _his_ activities over the past few weeks," I divulged boldly.

Daphnes looked at me shocked.

"What?" he demanded. "You dare to question me?"

I didn't care. I had had enough.

_I'm tired of the run around, _I thought, _I want some answers!_

"Just what did you tell the Deku Tree to keep from me?" I demanded, ignoring his question. "Why did you seek counsel with the guardian privately?"

Daphnes looked livid.

"Silence!" he exclaimed.

"How do you know Zant?" I went on not caring. "What connection does that creature have to the royal family?"

The king's eyes widened when I said the name.

"You insolent son of a-" Daphnes started.

"Why are you developing territories, and deliberately keeping them off the grid?" I interrupted, not caring about the repercussions. "When were you going to tell me about Ordon, you bastard? Why the hell are you keeping everyone in the dark Daphnes? Why damn you?"

That was it.

Daphnes lost it, hurried down the steps, and drew his sword. He lunged at me, and went to strike. I quickly drew my blade and parried his attack. I then side stepped out of his way.

"Father!" Zelda screamed. "No!"

Daphnes turned back around to face me. He raised his blade again. I raised mine to defend. One of us was about to be put down, and I knew it wasn't the king.

_This is about to get ugly, _I thought.

Zelda got up from her throne, and hurried down the steps to get in front of me. When the king saw his daughter's actions, Daphnes immediately halted his assault. The tension in the air was palpable. Everyone was breathing hard, and on edge. I put my sword away. Zelda was standing with her arms stretched out in front of me. Daphnes stared into her eyes, and slowly he lowered his sword. He then sheathed it and went back over to his throne. My pulse was ready to burst. I heard Zelda sigh in relief when the potential catastrophe was averted. However, I knew that wasn't the end.

_What now? _I wondered, waiting for the repercussions.

I heard the steady drum of footsteps coming towards the counsel room door.

_A platoon is coming, _I thought in dread, _I'm about to be arrested._

As if prophetically reading my mind, Daphnes spoke.

"You are hereby relinquished of all your duties as First Knight of Hyrule," he commanded. "You are forbidden to come within a thousand feet of my daughter, or you will be beheaded."

I closed my eyes at the sentence, already expecting it.

_Beheaded... _I thought of the gravity.

Zelda gasped.

"What?" her voice was barely audible, when she turned to look at her father.

The platoon rushed through the door with swords drawn. I stood there with no intention of fighting back.

_Let's just get this over with, _I thought.

Some of the members of the guard look perplexed.

"We heard swords sire," the captain said to the king, "was there an attempt on your life?"

Daphnes sat up in his throne and glared at me.

"Escort the _former_ First Knight to the dungeon," Daphnes decreed, ignoring the guard's questions. "He is to be stripped of his privileges, and to remain in custody for thirty days."

The guards looked at the king shocked, but went forth with his orders.

"Y-yes sire!" the captain replied.

The captain removed my sword and signet ring with a trembling hand. I knew he was confused as to what had just transpired. He then nodded for me to be shackled and handcuffed. I looked down at my bonds in disbelief.

_This is like a nightmare, _I thought, and sighed. _This is all happening because of a silly mistake._

Zelda looked like her heart just stopped. The guards surrounded me, and began leading me to the exit.

"Wait!" Zelda called out to them, and they halted, she then faced me. She caressed my cheek softly, and stared into my eyes. "I never meant for this to happen."

I just looked at her for a moment, not really blaming her.

_It is what it is, _I thought.

"Of course not, your highness," I said quietly.

Daphnes saw that and got angry.

"Zelda!" Daphnes growled. "Get away from him!"

Zelda hesitated, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Please, forgive me," she begged.

I nodded wanting to get this over with.

"Please, stand aside princess," I replied.

I was then led away.

* * *

><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. The next chapter will be up Sunday.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Inspiration: _Nip Tuck _there is this awesome one liner that I couldn't resist using, it starts off with "Death is the…" I won't finish it, you'll know when you get there lol_; _and The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.**

**Special Shout Out: This chapter is dedicated to my sister Taz and my little nephew Lex, who I consider the eighth wonder of the world.**

**Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012; ADDENDUM Reedited 1/14/2013 this chapter was reedited to include Saria's POV.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8<p>

Kakariko Village, Several Hours Later: Saria's POV

I loaded up the last of my sewing implements and closed over the lattice of the wagon. I rubbed my hands together and turned around to face gramps. He had a forlorn expression on his face. I tried to smile to get one out of him, but it didn't seem to work.

_He's been so wonderful to me, _I thought, _I'll never forget his kindness._

"Don't look so down gramps," I said, "I'll come back to visit, I promise."

He shook his head and sighed.

"By all rights and purposes you shouldn't be leaving," he stated, "this whole thing became a huge mess."

I had no counter to his words.

_It did become a mess, didn't it? _I thought.

I shrugged, trying to see the good in it.

"It can't be helped now," I replied, "what will be, will be."

Gramps grunted in disapproval at my words.

"Young people," he said, shaking his head. "I feel a certain measure of responsibility in this," he divulged, "I should have done a better job at warning you about seeing that knight."

I looked away when he mentioned Link. After what was said earlier, I was sure we were never going to see each other again. I hated the thought of that, but if Link thought I was such a horrible person, I saw no point in maintaining a friendship with him. Even still, I wasn't going to lie to myself and pretend that I didn't care about him as a person. I felt an innate closeness to him that I didn't initially understand. However, after yesterday, and the initiation of _certain _things, I was seeing things much clearer… much, much clearer, but, Link had a right to do what he felt was necessary. If guarding himself from me was necessary, then so be it.

_It is what it is, _I thought, _I hope he's happy with his princess. They deserve each other._

"It doesn't matter now," I said finally, "he has his life, let him live it, until the end."

Gramps heard the slight bitterness in my voice, and stared at my face for a moment.

"You were really starting to care for him, weren't you?" he asked me.

I felt my throat tighten when gramps asked me that. I didn't know how to answer that question. It was a complicated matter. I knew Link was engaged, but I couldn't deny that I had feelings for him, albeit friendly or something deeper. I really considered him a close friend. In any such case, I knew I crossed the line with some of my behavior the other night, but I never thought he saw me as a man leech. I knew much of what he said was because of anger, but I felt that kind of attack on my character was unwarranted. Link didn't know me to characterize me as such. It was a disrespectful and unfair assessment. I believe if he knew how _wrong _he was about me in that regard, he would have felt bad. However, it didn't matter, it was over, and internally I forgave him for what he said, but as for having a deeper, more personal connection with him, I think that was just siphoned off.

_Just let it go and move on Saria, _I told myself.

"I was," I replied finally, "but I'll get over it."

Gramps took in a deep breath and put his hands on his hips. He knew I was putting on airs, but he didn't bother to correct me on it. He figured enough damage and lecturing had been done. Even still, he did what he did best, and that was try to he reassure me that I was as good and decent as anyone else.

"I spoke to him before he took you off yesterday," he divulged.

I grinned.

"I know," I said, "I saw."

The elderly gentleman fixed his glasses.

"I told him that you weren't some play thing," he stated, "I told him you were a lady and needed to be treated with respect."

I smiled when he said that.

_He's always looking out for me, _I thought.

"Thanks gramps," I said, "he told me you told him to be nice to me."

Gramps grunted.

"You're darn right!" he said. "And he better have been too!"

I chuckled at his reaction.

_You'd be surprised gramps, _I thought, _he was a perfect gentleman. _I_ was the one who came onto him._

"He was," I said, and then looked away, "we just had a misunderstanding, that's why we fought this morning."

The elderly gentleman didn't like that I was defending what Link said about me, however, he didn't have a complete grasp on the whole situation.

"I don't care how upset he was," he divulged, "he had no right to say those things to you."

I raised my eyebrows and saw his point, but I knew he was only seeing things from my point of view.

_I shouldn't expect anything else, _I thought.

"You're right," I said, not bothering to rectify his thought process.

Gramps then sighed, and looked beyond me to my wagon. He shook his head again at the sight of my things.

"Where are you going to go?" he asked.

I shrugged and took in a deep breath.

_My options are limited, _I thought, _and I can't leave the mainland yet._

"Lake Hylia," I said, "I have a friend who lives there."

Gramps looked at me surprised.

"Lake Hylia?" he repeated. "I had no idea you knew anyone north of Ordon."

I kept my expression indifferent when he said that.

_I know, _I thought, _and I've worked very hard to keep it that way._

"Yeah..." I said, not bothering to elaborate, "he's kind of eccentric and likes his privacy."

The old man raised his eyebrows when he heard me say the gender.

"He?" he inquired. "You're going to live with a man?"

I pursed my lips together, realizing I said too much.

_Now that I think about it, _I thought, _that wasn't the smartest thing to say. I better deflect._

However, before I could reply the sound of a horse's hooves precluded the air. Gramps and I both turned around in surprise to see a royal guard trotting up the incline and stopping near the entrance of the village.

_What's this? _I wondered.

Many of the villagers who were preoccupied and indoors, came outside when they saw the messenger approach.

"What's going on?" several people asked each other.

I glanced over at them and raised my eyebrows.

_That's a good question, _I thought, but remained quiet.

The rider steadied his horse and addressed the small crowd.

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen of Kakariko," the guard said, "I have an urgent decree by his majesty, king Daphnes of Hyrule."

I felt my eyes widen when he said that.

_King Daphnes... _I thought, _this must be serious._

The guard dismounted, and removed the scroll he had tucked underneath his arm. He unrolled it, and began reading aloud.

"'His royal majesty, King Daphnes Nohansen, sovereign and prefect of Hyrule, has hereby decreed that Link, the Hero of Time, has henceforth been disavowed as the First Knight of Hyrule,'" he read.

I felt my heart race when he said that. The news entered the stunned crowd in complete disbelief.

_What? _I thought. _He's been disavowed?_

The soldier continued.

"'The former knight has been arrested on charges of: sedition, rogue action, and dishonorable conduct for a soldier,'" the guard read on. "'He will be jailed for thirty days before he is released and effectively banished from the kingdom of Hyrule.'"

My pulse danced as my eyes widened when he said that.

_Banished? _I thought, feeling all the blood drain from my face. _The king is going to have him banished… over a rumor? A rumor with no merit?_

"His majesty further states: 'Let this be a lesson to all men in the kingdom of Hyrule,'" he continued, "'no station, or privilege, should ever make a citizen forget what he is first and foremost, and that is a servant of his or her country.'" With that the messenger concluded. "That is all."

The guard then rolled up his conscription notice and mounted his stallion once more. Afterwards, he turned and galloped out of the village back to Hyrule Field. He was probably assigned to deliver the message to all the outside regions. I was dumbfounded by the news and stared after him for a few moments.

_I can't believe this, _I thought, _what could have possibly happened to precipitate this kind of reaction from the king?_

I swallowed hard and then glanced over at gramps. He had a concerned expression on his face. I then turned my attention to the other villagers. I felt my heart skip when I saw they were all staring at me... all of them.

_Oh no, _I thought, looking around.

Gramps saw that, and took it upon himself to get in front of me and negate some of the glares from the other villagers.

"What are you all looking at?" he demanded. "Go on about your business!"

A few of them groaned at his words. The lady I consulted a couple months ago shook her head in contempt at his defense of me.

"You know very well what we're looking at!" she exclaimed. "You can pretend it isn't an issue, but that _slut _came to Hyrule with the sole purpose of being the fantasy of any handsome man that would fancy her! Poor master Link didn't have the willpower to overcome her whiles, and now his entire life has been ruined!"

_What? _I thought, not being able to believe my ears. However, when I thought about it more, the woman did have a point. _This is all happening _without _Link and I sleeping together. I couldn't imagine how guilty I'd feel if something had happened between us last night. _

The villagers weren't done.

"Yeah!" a man chimed in. "That _tramp_ came into this village and has done nothing but cause social discord! She practically threw herself at the first knight whenever she had the chance and opportunity!"

I swallowed hard at hearing that, and tried not to get upset.

_Now, he knows that's false, _I thought, _none of these people saw my interactions with Link. They're simply going on what they wanted to believe. Well, I won't give them the satisfaction of getting me upset. They can think what they want._

Gramps wasn't going to let that slide.

"You know damn well none of that is true!" gramps defended. "You all saw with your own eyes that that knight came into this village of his own free will! The only person who ruined his life, was him!"

A carpenter in the back was shaking his head in disagreement.

"How long are you going to defend that green haired _whore_ old man?" he demanded. "We _all _know what kind of woman she is!" he then directed his attention to me. "This village isn't a _brothel_! Take your dirty ways back to the red lantern district where you came from!"

I felt a little taken aback by his words, but wasn't offended by them. After all, none of these people knew me, and in their eyes I was the reason their hero was defrocked. And honestly, in some ways they were right. I closed my eyes and sighed.

_I just need to get out of here, _I thought.

However, gramps wasn't going to allow them to keep badgering me.

"Now, just a minute!" gramps hollered in my defense. "You are not-" he tried.

This was going to go back and forth if I didn't disengage this right now. I stopped my friend by putting my hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at me surprised, and I shook my head no.

_I'm not going to have him ruin his chances here because of me, _I thought, _he still needs to make a living._

"It's okay gramps," I said, "I think I should just leave."

"But Saria-" he tried.

"It's okay," I interrupted again in a gentle manner, "really, you need to think about your health."

Gramps stared at me for a moment when he heard me say that, sighed, and finally nodded.

"Alright," he said, "I'll escort you out."

I tried to smile at his offer.

"Thanks," I replied.

I climbed onto the wagon and took hold of the reigns. I helped gramps up to the seat next to me, and when he was situated, I giddied the Ordonian mare down the incline to Hyrule Field. Once I was way past the impasse, I helped my old friend out and said my final goodbye to him.

"You be careful my dear," gramps told me, "and don't take what any of them said to heart. You're a good, decent person."

When he said that to me it made me think of what Link said to me earlier in the day.

_"I thought you were a good, decent person…" _his voice echoed through my head, _"I had you pegged wrong…" _I pursed my lips together and gripped my reigns tighter. _Let's see if I can change that view you have of me Link, _I thought.

I smiled at gramps.

"I will be careful, and thank you for being so incredible," I said, then giddied away.

I headed to Lake Hylia.

_I have to hurry, _I thought.

~SSS~

I arrived at Lake Hylia well past dusk, and stopped the wagon when I got to my destination. Before I got down, the door to the Seaside Laboratory opened and the eccentric old scientist who lived there looked like he was ready to leave. A smile curled my lips at the sight of him, and when he saw me he looked at me surprised.

"Saria?" he asked.

I nodded, then jumped off the wagon. I landed gracefully and started towards him.

"Long time no see," I said with encrypted sarcasm.

The old scientist smiled at me knowing exactly what I meant.

"Indeed," he said, giving me an offhanded stare, "however, you've caught me at the most inopportune time my dear. I'm on my way out to visit a test subject, what are you doing here?"

I walked up to him and put my hands on my hips. I avoided his eyes for a moment and sighed.

_How do I even ask this? _I thought.

The old man saw the look on my face and became intrigued.

"Saria…" he trailed, "what's going on?"

_That's what I'd like to know, _I thought, not sharing my concerns, _but something doesn't make sense here. Why is…? _I didn't finish what I was thinking.

"I need a favor..." I detracted finally, and raised my eyebrows, "can you help me?"

The old man narrowed his eyes at me for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked.

~SSS~

Hyrule Castle Dungeon: Link's POV

The dungeon was dank, cold, and empty. I was the only prisoner. After a ridiculous sentence hearing mandated by Daphnes to have my crimes read to me in full for six hours, I was finally led away to the crypt of the castle. The crypt was no place to laugh at. It used to be a torture chamber for one of the corrupt, deranged kings of the past. There were horror stories about how people could hear the screams of the individuals being killed there. The nights were often the most brutal, and blood curdling. I didn't let the history bother me, but I wasn't arrogant about my own heroism. There were things I did in my own time as an adventurer I'd like to forget, and surroundings like these made that hard. Even still, this was my home for the next thirty days. The guard opened the cell, and shoved me inside. I turned my head slightly, and gave the guard a look of warning.

_He's only doing this because I'm shackled, _I thought, _let my hands had been free, I would've…_

I let my thoughts trail when I was uncuffed and forced to get acquainted with my new surroundings.

_Isn't this pleasant? _I thought sarcastic.

The guard smirked justifiably when he saw me look around.

"It serves you right for rejecting the princess for some floozy," he said to me, as he locked the iron door. "Looks like you're not the golden boy that everyone thought you were."

I shook my head, not caring about his biased conjecture.

_Whatever, _I thought.

I sighed, ignoring the guard, knowing he didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about.

He_ probably wants to marry Zelda, _I thought mordant.

I walked across the sixteen feet by sixteen feet cell, and sat down on the hay cot. I ran my hands over my face, seriously pondering what I was going to do. I had no idea what to expect, and Daphnes didn't say what he was going to have done to me after the thirty day sentence. I was sure, however, everyone else in the kingdom knew.

_What's going to happen after my imprisonment? _I wondered. _Is he going to have me banished? _I raised my eyebrows at the thought. _ Probably, it makes the most sense._

I sat back against the limestone wall, wondering what would become of Hyrule if I departed. It was something I hadn't really considered before, but given my new circumstances, I needed to think about that. Being the chosen hero was a serious responsibility, and one that wasn't to be taken lightly. I knew this, and was anticipating what this could mean for me.

_The goddesses would find another hero, _I rationalized, _that's just how it works._

I shrugged at the simplicity of my reasoning. However, even though I knew that was the case, it still didn't sit well with me. I hated the thought of my legacy being reduced to a perfunctory sensationalized scandal.

_A scandal that doesn't exist,_ I thought annoyed.

I sighed and sat up when abruptly when I heard the dungeon door open.

_It must be change of shift, _I thought.

I was correct, because the previous guard had left and was replaced with someone new. It only to me a moment to recognize who he was, he was the bastard from yesterday. I had to keep my temper in check.

_You and your big ass mouth, _I thought upset.

I narrowed my eyes when I saw him. He merely smirked smugly at me. I took in a deep irritated sigh and sat back against the wall.

"You just couldn't keep your mouth shut could you?" I accused, as he walked around doing his cell checks. There was no reason for it. I was the only prisoner there.

_What an idiot, _I thought.

The guard stopped in front of my cell when I addressed him.

"I saw an opportunity and took it," the guard replied simply. "As reward for my loyalty to the throne, I received a commission."

I scoffed in incredulity and shook my head.

_You call this a commission? _I thought in disbelief.

"You guard a dungeon now," I divulged, making sure he knew his rank was of no real significance. "Don't kid yourself into believing you'll be fighting the forces of evil anytime soon."

The guard apparently didn't take too kindly to my insult.

"I wouldn't be so quick to insult someone, _former _first knight of Hyrule," he shot back, "you were in line to become the next _king _and you foiled that up because you allowed your dick to do your thinking," he shook his head at me pitifully. "Now, you're just another commoner stuck in a dungeon because you were too arrogant to seize the great opportunity in front of you."

I raised my eyebrows at his comeback, realizing I didn't have a reply. His facts were muddled, but he had a pretty good counter to my insult.

_Touche, _I thought.

He continued to smirk at me, thinking he'd gotten under my skin.

_You wouldn't be smiling if I was out there you bastard, _I thought upset.

It was amazing to me that one little insatiate rumor could cause so much trouble. One stupid, viral-like rumor was ruining my life.

_I wasn't even given a chance to plead my case, _I thought angry, _I was put on display as if I were a no account criminal._

_And _It wasn't just me I had to consider, there was someone else's welfare I had to think of as well. Saria had been dragged into this entire ordeal because of my obsession with wanting to know who she truly was. Now, she was being forced to live someplace else in order to escape the harassment and scrutiny she's been under, or at least a measure of it.

_When I get out of here I need to find her and apologize, _I pondered.

The full gravity of what I said to her the day before was storming back to my mind. I didn't even understand why I said some of the things I said. Why was I so jealous of what was, or wasn't there? I made a placated assumption about her solely for the purpose and intention of making myself feel better, and for what? A lost friendship? So my pride could feel temporarily better? It didn't make sense, and it was stupid for me to act that way.

_I was so cruel to her, _I thought with guilt, _I'm not going to leave things the way they are with her. I'm going to do right by her._

After I made that resolve, I spent the next few hours introspectively reflecting on what I was going to after my imprisonment. I knew the kingship was out of the question, and honestly, I was okay with that.

_Fine, _I thought, somewhat relieved, _I'm tired of living my life as if it were in a fishbowl anyway._

That thought comforted me greatly. Being king was a heavy burden, and since Daphnes was so bent on insisting that I was ill bred, I didn't need it.

_I'm sure he'll find another prefect or counselor for his daughter, _I thought, _it all seems like smoke and mirrors anyway._

I stared at the embossed ceiling and sighed. I laid back and stretched out on the cot. My current thoughts were bringing back to mind the desire for a simple life. I was a simple man of simple means, and I didn't need a lot to make me happy. If I had a roof over my head, and some good land to till, I could be perfectly content. I raised my eyebrows at the notion.

_Maybe…_ my thoughts trailed, _maybe I could still have that. Maybe all these things happening now aren't a terrible thing. In the end, maybe life will answer a dormant desire I've always had. _

However, as much as I wanted that, there were still the threats to Hyrule to consider. I narrowed my eyes and stared at the reinforced crossbeams on the limestone ceiling. There were biomes forming within the algae.

_But…what about Zant? _I wondered_. I couldn't just leave the whole country in danger because my life of privilege was gone._

I sighed at this.

_I could still fight for Hyrule, _I reasoned, _I don't need a crown to do that._

The more I thought about the alternatives, the less concerned I became with the future. In fact, these new thoughts were sounding a whole lot better than what I was previously undertaking. The crown and the kingship were for politicians and prefects who desired power. I was none of those. I was a man who grew up in the forest, and appreciated small things.

_I could get a farm, _I thought, _or plant some pumpkins._

I grinned at the idea of me being a pumpkin farmer. I actually wasn't a bad cultivator. I had a pretty good patch in Kokiri Forest. I went on with the idea.

_Maybe I could wrangle some goats, _I joked to myself.

"I could do that," I muttered to myself, and then chuckled.

All of a sudden, my thoughts were interrupted by the guard banging the butt of his sword on the prison bars.

_What now? _I thought irritated.

"Hey," he called to me, "you have a visitor."

My eyes widened when he said that.

_What? _I thought perplexed, then sat up. _Who's coming to see me at this hour?_

I saw a hooded woman hand the guard a small purse of rupees. He then nodded for her to approach.

"Keep it quick," he said to her.

The woman nodded at the guard and then unhooded herself at my cell bars. It was Zelda. I looked at her surprised. If Daphnes knew she were here, I would be sitting under a guillotine in a few hours. I wasn't going to lie, I was indifferent with her coming to see me. I wasn't upset, but I was excited either. She caused me a great deal of trouble earlier that day due to her jealousy.

_What does she want now? _I wondered. _A blood sample?_

Zelda saw the look on my face and gripped the bars of the cell eagerly. She stared at me with a slight desperation. I only stared back. I honestly did not want to speak to her at that moment.

_Please Zelda, _I thought, _just go back to your chamber._

Zelda bit her lower lip at seeing my expression, and reached into my cell with an open hand.

"Link…" she whispered, hoping I'd take her invitation.

I looked at her hand, but didn't extend my own. I wasn't in the mood for theatrics.

_Just say your piece princess and leave, _I thought.

"What do you want your highness?" I asked finally.

Zelda looked genuinely distraught at my rejection of her, and pulled her hand back. She then looked away and started to cry. I listened to her weep softly for a few moments, before she managed to pull herself together. I would normally be a comforting agent to her, but not today.

"Oh Link," she whimpered, "I-I'm sorry."

I didn't reply right away, and sighed.

"You shouldn't be here," I said.

Zelda shook her head at my words.

"I can't help it," she replied, "I was worried about you."

_Why? _I thought upset. _You probably knew what I was doing. You're probably still having me watched. _

I couldn't help but feel a little bit of contempt for her.

"Well…" I said with a thoughtful shrug, "I'm one headache you won't have to worry about any longer. You heard your father earlier."

Zelda's eyes widened and she sucked in a troubled breath. She covered her mouth and shook her head. Her eyes refilled with tears.

"If that's supposed to be a joke, that isn't funny!" she snapped at me.

I was a little annoyed with this. I was in no way shape or form laughing.

_First, she has me accused, _I thought, _and now she wants to play the martyr._

"Zelda-" I tried.

"No!" she interrupted. "I will not accept this! I won't marry anyone else. Even if I have to live as a commoner to be by your side I won't marry anyone else but you! You don't understand Link, I _need_ you! How can I protect Hyrule without you?"

My eyes widened when she said that.

"I'm not going to have you give up the throne for-" I tried to say.

"I won't be without you!" she interrupted me forcefully.

There was an element of desperation to her voice that I found a little troubling. I didn't know why, and I didn't know what it was, but it was there.

_There's something not right about this, _I thought, _her plea almost seems too earnest. I wouldn't be in here if I were allowed to explain myself, _I went on. _Now, she wants me to act as though none of her actions precipitated this, and that crying and a few strong words make all her deceit okay._

"That's no longer your call," I said to her quietly.

Zelda wiped her eyes away and gripped the bars again.

"I love you Link," she said with eagerness, "you have to know that I'm in love with you."

I crossed my arms over my chest when she said that.

_If this is your love, I don't want to see your hate, _I thought.

"I know," I verbalized.

She stared at me for a moment, and took what I said as a hopeful sign.

"I've spoken to father to get you out of here," she said to me, "a future king shouldn't be treated this way."

I narrowed my eyes in disbelief and shook my head.

_A future king? _I thought. _That's only a dream now princess. There's no way Daphnes will reinstate me, and to be honest I don't think I want to be reinstated._

"I'm not going to be the king Zelda," I divulged, "you and I both know that."

Zelda shook her head defiantly at me.

"Don't say that!" she replied. "I'll explain to father I was wrong, and that I was merely acting out of jealousy."

I only looked at her and pursed my lips together.

_Just like a princess, _I thought incredulous.

"Not everything can be relieved by crying to daddy, your highness," I replied with an undercurrent of cynicism.

However, I had to rethink that premise.

_Well… maybe in her case it can, _I thought.

Zelda just stared at me after hearing that, then for some odd reason narrowed her eyes upset.

"You think I like seeing you this way?" she demanded. "You think I want-"

I had had enough of this. I was sick of her trying to play innocent.

_You are not going to downplay what you've done, _I thought.

"Apparently what I think doesn't matter," I interrupted suddenly, "because if it did, you would have at least allowed me to state my piece. You allowed me nothing Zelda! Nothing!"

I had to remember my tone, because the guard came back and banged on the bar at my slightly raised voice.

"Quiet down before I go in there and mess you up!" he threatened.

I just stared at him.

_With the kind of day I'm having, I'd really like to see you try that, _I thought, inviting the skirmish with my eyes.

I avoided the tussle when I turned my attention back to the princess. Zelda was looking at me shocked. I didn't understand why, she had to know I was going to be upset with the way she was acting.

"You can't… you can't mean that," she said finally.

I shook my head and shrugged.

"How could I not?" I replied to her. "You saw what happened with your father! I was put on display like a no account dog!"

Zelda was not going to let me slide with that.

"You had every opportunity to confess to me yesterday, and yet chose not to!" she shot back.

I scoffed and ran a hand over my face, getting more and more irritated with this conversation by the minute.

_This is ridiculous, _I thought.

"Again," I began carefully, "there was_ nothing_ to confess because I did _nothing_ wrong."

"Link I-" she tried.

I was done with this subject. I didn't want to talk about this anymore.

"I'm in here because of you!" I interrupted point blank. "Don't try to deny that princess! _Your _jealousy is the reason why I'm here!"

Even though I may have felt vindicated with what I said, I wish I had bitten my tongue. That, or used a little more fortitude, because my words caught her off guard. It wasn't fair for me to blame my entire situation on her. _I _did act presumptuously and rally the king's anger.

_I really need to work on my prudence, _I thought.

Zelda drew back a little and looked away. She bit her lower lip and didn't reply. I knew what I said probably hurt her.

_The more I open my mouth, _I thought, _the more I make things harder for myself. Why can't I revert back to my silent self? When did I become so impulsive with my speech?_

"I…" she trailed, and took in a deep sigh, "I just didn't want to share you with anyone," she said in a rare moment of vulnerability. "Everyone thinks that I always have to be perfect," she looked at me just then, "well I'm not perfect Link, and yes I do have feelings like any other Hylian. I do feel jealous when another woman takes what little attention I get from you away from me. Yes, it's petty, yes, it's childish, but I don't care. I love you, and I know that seamstress reminds you of..."

My eyes grew wide at her low utterance. I waited for her to continue, but she trailed off. I found my heart pounding a little bit at what she possibly knew.

_Reminds me of who? _I wondered.

"What were you going to say?" I asked.

Zelda didn't look at me, but answered anyway.

"I was going to say," she answered with a sigh, "she reminds you of… the Forest Sage," she divulged.

I looked away from her when she said that. I wasn't expecting this. I wasn't expecting her to know this.

"Do... you love her still Link?" she asked me, without looking at me.

I looked at her surprised, a little caught unawares by her inquiry.

_Still? _I thought. _So, she's always known._

I didn't answer her question, and I wasn't going to entertain a notion that I wasn't sure of.

"She's gone Zelda," I replied, "I haven't seen her in years."

It was hard for me to say that, but I knew it was the truth. Zelda looked at me just then.

"_But _if she _were_ to come back you wouldn't hesitate to go to her, would you?" she asked me.

I wasn't going to entertain 'would be's' 'maybe's' or 'if's.' I was a man of practicality, and there was nothing practical with wishful thinking.

_She's a Kokiri, _I thought, _it can never be._

"I don't like thinking about things that will never happen," I replied, avoiding her question.

Zelda looked away again, and her eyes refilled. I was sure she knew the subliminal messaging there.

_I'm sorry, _I thought.

"I see," she said.

She stayed quiet for a long time, then got up from the saw dusted ground.

"I will make amends," she divulged to me finally, then bowed.

I was surprised at the gesture, and watched the princess as she headed for the exit. However, before she left I stopped her. I wanted to know what she meant.

_That's a vague inclination, _I thought.

"How?" I asked suddenly, then stood up and went over to the bars. "How are you going to make amends?"

Zelda halted, and turned to look at me. She tried to smile.

"You'll see," she said, staring deeply into my eyes.

She bowed once more, and even though I didn't want to, I bowed back.

_She's still the princess and the future queen, _I thought, _she deserves that respect. Even still, I have to wonder what she meant._

Zelda then took her leave.

~SSS~

Two Days Later, Around Midnight in the Dungeon: Link's POV

The routine hadn't changed. The next couple days came in went in a haze of habit. Now, I understood why prisoners were crazy. Staying in a cell all day could drive a person insane. Even still, I made the best of it, and began my countdown to freedom or banishment.

_It's either one or the other, _I thought.

I managed to induce sleep, after a menial supper of gruel and day old biscuits. I was in the third stage of non REM, when I was suddenly awakened by a sharp whip that broke the sound barrier.

_What the...? _I thought.

My eyes shot open immediately, and I saw a small projectile above my head in my horizontal view. The dart was about three inches long, with a dense metallic coating and a hollow inside. It was capped with an iron ore tip that opened once it hit its target. I knew that because I some purplish ooze smear on the wall where it hit. I pulled the ballistic out of the wall and immediately sat up.

_What the hell is this? _I thought, but my eyes widened when I turned and found I had a new visitor. _Sweet Farore, _I thought in disbelief, _he's here…_

Standing in front of my cell was a man dressed in all black with a cowl, a headdress, and hood. He was holding a crossbow on his left wrist. It was the assassin from the forest. I looked at the hooded individual intrepidly, trying to anticipate their next move.

_How the hell did they get in here? _I thought, trying to scan the environment for a way out. It didn't look good for me. I had very limited space.

The assassin raised his wrist and aimed again, the shot fired instantly. I quickly dodged it, and hurried to a standing position. I heard muffled laughter from underneath the hood.

"You're good," the assassin whispered, "now dodge this!" he then took aim and shot again.

_My goddess! _I thought, feeling a twinge of panic.

I was quick enough to dodge that shot as well.

"Hmph," the assassin grunted impressed, and then reached over to his side and brought forth a vessel of keys, "you're so good, I might let you out of there."

My eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.

_What? _I thought.

I looked at the maniac with open suspicion. This certainly wasn't what I was expecting.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

The assassin paused for a moment.

"You don't want to get out of there?" he asked.

_He thinks he funny, _I thought upset.

"What the hell do you want?" I repeated.

The killer stared at me for a long time and grunted again.

"So," he whispered, "you like to ask questions, huh?" he took aim at me again. "Okay, question this."

_Damn it! _I thought.

The shot was fired, and I dodged it again.

_This psycho is crazy! _I thought incredulous.

"When I get out of here I'm going-" I threatened.

The deranged lunatic put a finger to his clothed lips.

"I just had to be sure," the killer interrupted in a whispery voice, and then pointed to his left, "your friend over there wasn't so lucky."

I didn't move, but I glanced in the general direction the assassin pointed, and saw the incapacitated guard. There was an arrow in his gut. I couldn't lie, I was shocked.

_I hated the bastard, but I certainly didn't want him dead! _I thought.

As if clairvoyant, the assassin said, "He's not dead, that projectile was coated with a sedative that reduces trauma and puts its assailant to sleep."

I looked back at the assassin, not trusting his word, but still found it puzzling that he felt it necessary to reassure me.

_What is this guy's deal? _I wondered.

"What the hell do you want?" I demanded yet again.

The assassin stood there staring at me for a moment, and then raised his projectile once more. I immediately felt my heart accelerate at the sight and braced myself to dodge another attack.

_This is one sick bastard! _I thought.

However, instead of firing, the assassin made a popping sound. I inadvertently reacted, thinking another shot was fired, but nothing was released. There was more muffled laughter under that hood.

"Fooled you," the assassin whispered, "my, my, my aren't you jumpy."

I took in a deep breath and swallowed hard.

_The only reason this psychopath can rattle me is because I'm stuck in a cage, _I thought. _If we had equal playing ground he would _not _be able to do this to me! _

I made it a point not to show any emotion, as the killer was watching me closely.

_You can't show weakness Link, _I told myself.

The assassin came up and tapped his crossbow on the bars of the cell.

"You're probably wondering why you're not dead," he said with an ambiguous confidence.

I didn't reply, but that was a good point. The killer was studying my face.

"Strange times lead to strange bedfellows," the assassin went on cryptically, "and alas now your precious princess is caught in the mix."

My eyes widened when I heard that.

_Zelda! _I thought.

"What?" I demanded. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The killer paused before he answered.

"There's a hit out on the princess," the assassin divulged, "I was hired to do the job."

I couldn't believe my ears.

"By who?" I demanded, already thinking I knew the answer.

The killer paused again and stared at me.

"The great puppet master their self," the assassin replied finally.

I looked away for a moment, having to control my anger.

_So, _I thought, _that fiend has finally decided to make his move._

"Zant," I said under my breath, "that bastard wants to kill the princess to mark his revenge against the royal family!"

The assassin only stood there nodding while at the same shaking his head obtusely. It was a total contradictory stance. It was as if he wasn't really agreeing or disagreeing with anything I was saying.

_Toying with me, _I thought upset, _this bastard is toying with me!_

"I will kill her," the assassin divulged in cold rationale, "it's up to you to save her, white knight of Hyrule."

I looked at the assassin strange just then.

_Something about this is off putting, _I thought, _it doesn't make sense._

"Is… is that why you're here?" I asked, not being able to help my inquiry.

The assassin held up the keys to the dungeon again and jingled them in a taunting cadence.

"Awww," he whispered, "now you're catching on. I'm here to free you," the assassin replied, "what's the fun of hunting, without proper competition."

I looked to the keys, and then back to the killer.

"You're sick," I muttered inadvertently, I couldn't help it, "who thinks of killing people as sport?"

The assassin nodded.

"That I am," the assassin replied, and ignored my question, "but there are worse things in this world though. Sickness is only a byproduct of it."

I narrowed my eyes angrily.

"When do you plan to strike?" I demanded, going back to the initial subject.

"The day of the coronation," the assassin replied with icy accuracy.

I was taken aback by that.

_Wait a minute… _I thought.

"What?" I asked surprised.

The assassin laughed again; quiet, whispery laughter.

"What better way to shoot her highness down than as her portrayal of something she cherishes the most," the assassin replied, "Hylia the protector of Hyrule."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You won't kill her," I promised, "I _will_ stop you."

The killer shrugged.

"That's the whole point," he said strangely.

The assassin paused and stared at me for a long moment, and that was when I noticed the glimmer of blue in their eyes. It was subtle, but he let his guard down a little too much during his taunt, and a glimpse of his identity was revealed.

_So, this bastard is a Hylian, _I thought, _what a bloody traitor… to become a killer for money._

The killer took note of my staring and lowered his hood further. He immediately reengaged himself took another shot at me. I reacted quick, and dodged that shot too.

_When I find out who you are... _I trailed the threat in my head.

"I hope you do stop me," the assassin said, "it'll only make going after her a second time that much more enjoyable… or a third time, or a fourth time, or however long it takes to kill her."

My anger was getting the better of me, and suddenly I wished I hadn't been so cruel to Zelda when she came to visit. Her life was in danger now, and I had no way of warning her.

_I have to tell the king somehow, _I thought. _I can't believe my arrest had to happen with such erroneous circumstances now taking place. This is insane!_

"I swear to you when I get my hands on you-" I began.

"You'll what?" The assassin interrupted. "Kill me? Death doesn't scare me, white knight of Hyrule. No, no you see... death... death is the ultimate orgasm. It's the transcendent high that we all want one day. I should know, I've killed enough people to experience it. And if I should be so honored to die by your hand, I hope you orgasm too."

I took a step back, realizing this was a different sort of villainy I was dealing with.

_Threats won't work with a man like this,_ I thought, _he's exceptionally crazy, but not just any kind of crazy. He's a cool, visceral, rational type of crazy. The most dangerous kind of crazy there is. _

"You're… you're really insane," I said, almost as if the words just fell out of my mouth.

The killer snickered.

"You already told me that," the assassin replied back in a casual manner, "insanity is implied, and if that's the case then for all intensive purposes, you're just as insane as I am."

_Oh no you don't, _I thought.

I wasn't going to play this game with this psycho. He was too depraved to have any concept of right or wrong. His moral compass was virtually nonexistent.

"Give me the keys," I demanded all of a sudden, "if it's a hunt you want, it's a hunt you'll get."

The assassin paused for a moment after hearing me say that.

"Fair enough," he said, "a few words of advice: when you get out of here keep a low profile. The interdict of your fall from grace has already been decreed throughout all of Hyrule. Find a friend you can trust and go to them. Stay away from all the main roads, and don't utter what I've told you to anyone. If you do, I'll aim for more than your precious princess, agreed?"

When he said that I knew I had to renege on getting a message to Daphnes. If this killer found out I cued the royal family to his attack, there was no telling what the repercussions would be.

_I have to keep it to myself for now, _I thought.

"Agreed," I replied, realizing I had no choice.

The assassin then threw the keys to me in the cell. I caught them with one free hand, but then suddenly felt a sharp pain at my left side. I winced and looked down to see a small projectile pierce my abdomen. I looked back up at the killer in shock.

"You bastard!" I said angrily.

The killer scoffed.

"Last bit of advice: go see the Deku Tree if you don't die," the assassin said to me, "and never get too comfortable with your opponent that you trust them, otherwise what happened to you just now will happen to you again. I bid you goodnight."

With that, the assassin turned and ran down the hall. He jumped up onto one of the high cedar beams and disappeared into a passageway accessed from the limestone ceiling. I watched after him, but immediately began to feel groggy.

_How the hell does the assassin know about the Deku Tree? _I thought, but immediately subsided the recourse when a sharp pain began to radiate up my torso.

I looked down and saw a small projectile protruding right below my spleen.

"Damn it!" I muttered, knowing that if I pulled it out it would only make matters worse.

I had to leave it in and get out of there before the next change of shift.

_I've only got one shot at this, _I thought.

I unlocked the cell and hurried down the hall, but stopped when I saw the guard on the ground. I didn't want to leave him there in such a state, and I didn't trust the killer's words with regard to his condition either.

_I better make sure he's alive, _I thought.

I pulled the guard up to a sitting position to increase his work of breathing. Once he was sitting upright, I checked his pulse.

_Good, _I thought, _he's still alive._

I made sure his head was steady and got ready to continue, but then I stopped when I noticed his sword.

"I could use that," I muttered, realizing I had no weapons.

I immediately made the decision to take it, and headed for the exit. I paused for a moment, and peered around the corner of a limestone wall to check and see if the aisle was clear. When I saw the guard was clear, I sprinted down the hall holding my side. I didn't want to leave a bloody trail for them to follow. I cupped my tunic and looked down at my wound. It was getting bigger.

_I have to hurry, _I thought.

Once I was down the hall, I noticed two guards standing adjacent to the primary exit. Instead of attacking them head on, I decided to create a diversion to pull them away. I looked around and saw the chandelier above them. It was one of the few in desperate need of repair. Several of the extension ropes keeping it locked in place were dethreading.

_That'll work, _I thought.

I crept over to where the ropes met at a brass recess, and silently began slicing through the threads. A few plucks later, the resistance gave way and I heard a loud crash. I quickly put my sword away and sprinted for the exit. I narrowly passed out of eye shot of a couple guards responding to the distraction. With them gone, I hurried through the next set of halls, until I was finally outside. Once there, I went and hurried over the hill and climbed the fence. The projectile went deeper as I pulled my upper body up over the rock effacement.

_Damn it! _I thought.

"Ah," I moaned in pain as I landed.

I looked around after the jump to see if the area was clear. The outside perimeter guards had become distracted from the diversion created inside. Once I was ensured no one was around, I whipped out my ocarina and called for Epona. There was no way I was going to make it where I needed to go without my horse. I had to calm the mare down when she approached. I didn't want her whining to get me caught.

"Easy girl," I whispered, "easy."

I mounted her carefully as I was really starting to bleed profusely under my clothes. I shook my head as a sudden onset of dizziness came over me.

_Sweet Farore, _I thought, shaking my head, _what the hell was on that dart? _

I didn't have time to think of that now. I had to find a haven, and find it quickly.

_"Find someone you can trust..." _the assassin's advice echoed through my mind.

There was only one person I could think of at that moment, and that was Saria.

_I hope she isn't still angry, _I thought, trying to fight off a dizzy spell.

I didn't hesitate for a moment. I immediately headed for Lake Hylia.

~SSS~

Lake Hylia: Saria's POV

I snuggled comfortably in bed reading a book on different forest unguents, when I heard the neigh and trot of a horse approach.

_What in the world? _I thought, not expecting any visitors.

I opened the shutters and peered out the window to see Link barely conscious atop his horse.

"Oh my goddess!" I whispered, and hurried out of my room down the stairs.

When I opened the door, I saw that he had stumbled off his horse and was bleeding terribly. My eyes widened in dread.

"Link!" I called out. "What are you doing here?"

~SSS~

Lake Hylia: Link's POV

I arrived at Lake Hylia right before dawn. I dismounted Epona as blood had soaked through the lower left portion of my tunic, and bled onto my horse's back.

_I'm sorry Epona, _I thought, _I'll wash you as soon as I get better._

I could stand, but barely.

_There is something on this projectile, _I thought, looking down at my stomach, _there's no way one little missile could do this._

I finally pulled it out and tried to observe the tip. It was a single pronged missile used for poison induction, what I initially suspected when I saw the purple ooze on the wall in the cell. I pocketed the projectile and shook my head. My dizziness was getting worse.

"I need… to… find… Saria," I struggled to say.

I looked around and saw a carriage stationed at the Sea Side Laboratory. It had urns and thread patterns situated on it.

_She's here, _I thought, with a small pang of relief. However, it was short lived as I was seeing everything in kaleidoscopic vertigo. _I'm going to pass out._

I glanced up at the third story window and saw a light. I then saw a face appear in the window sill. It was Saria. Her eyes widened and she quickly left the window.

_I hope she's coming out here, _I thought.

A few moments later the door opened to the lab and she hurried outside.

"Link!" she said to me in utter surprise. "What are you doing here?"

I didn't answer. I tried to stand, but my level of consciousness was falling. Saria immediately halted her questions when she saw the blood on my tunic. She immediately took one of my arms and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"I have to get you inside!" she said in slight panic.

I helped as much as I could, and tried to fight passing out. I knew there was no way Saria would be able to carry me up three stories of stairs. When we got to her room, she quickly shut the door, and placed me on one of the two beds. I looked into her eyes, trying to stay conscious.

_What the hell was on that dart? _I wondered in disbelief.

"Link!" she said my name in a panicked voice. "Stay with me! Don't fall asleep!"

I looked into her soft blue eyes, trying to follow her command, but I was going.

"Saria…" I whispered breathing hard.

Her eyes got wide when she heard that from me.

"It's okay Link," she reassured, "I'm here, please, wake up!"

I wanted to, I really did, but this poison was not going to let me. I stared into her eyes one last time, before I effectively passed out. The last thing I heard was Saria's voice crying out my name again and again.

"Link!" she called. "Link! Link!"

~SSS~

The next day I opened my eyes and gasped.

_What happened? _I wondered, having no memory of what took place.

I blinked several times to get my vision in focus, and ran a hand over my face. I swallowed hard when I felt my throat was dry.

_Where's Saria? _I wondered and slowly sat up.

I looked around the room briefly, and saw Saria wrapped in a blanket at my bedside sound asleep in a chair. I raised my eyebrows at her, surprised that she slept in such an uncomfortable position all night when there was an empty bed stationed at the far wall across the room. I looked to the table adjacent to her, and noticed a basin on top of it filled with blood tinged water and calipers. There were cloth bandages and adhesive liquids spread out on the surface, along with unguents and protein based solutions for healing. I stared at all the supplies and then glanced back over at Saria thankful at the level of care she went through to help me.

_She must have stayed up all night taking care of me, _I thought, feeling a twinge of guilt_, I just pushed myself on her, and she helped me with no questions asked._

Saria stirred a little from her sleep, and turned her position in the recliner. A brief smile came across her face as she slept, but then it quickly went away. I grinned at the sight of her, and shook my head.

_I wonder what she's dreaming about, _I thought.

I sighed, but then took notice of her hands gripped at her blankets, and saw they were stained with iodine. Her fingertips were dark amber brown, and they were a little serrated with broken surface skin. That was often a feature seen in tailors and seamstresses. It was then I noticed I wasn't wearing my tunic and there a large bandage wrapped around my waist. I couldn't see them, but I could feel the incredible suture job she performed with the stitches she sewed in me.

_She must've adhered my wound and cleansed it with iodine, _I thought, _she really looked out for me, didn't she?_

The thought made me feel terrible in how I treated her a few days ago. I looked away from her and took in a deep sigh. I was wrong for assuming the way I did. I basically called her a liar and a whore without directly saying it, and she did nothing to deserve such reprehension. My head throbbed just then, and I put it to being a slight punishment for my recent sins.

_It's what I deserve, _I thought.

I looked back over at Saria, grateful that she wasn't a grudge worthy person, because she very well could've been. Even still, I had bigger concerns regarding this situation for her as well as myself. It was only a matter of time until Daphnes found out I escaped, and when he did, there was going to be a scour and search everywhere throughout Hyrule for my recapture. I was going to be considered a fugitive against the state, and anyone aiding and abetting me was considered an accessory to such actions, thus my concern for Saria.

_If I stay here I'm putting her in danger, _I thought.

I knew I had to lay low and find a base of operations until I figured out what I needed to do next. With all this added stress and confusion, there was still the threat on Zelda's life, and _I _was the only one who could protect her. How was I going to protect the princess, while at the same time lay low from Daphnes' purge? I didn't know exactly, but I knew it had to be done.

_I'll figure it out, _I thought, _I have to, what choice do I have?_

I stared at Saria while I thought about this, and smiled at her pretty sleeping face. I didn't know why but a funny abrupt thought came to me just then.

_Wait a minute, it's okay for her to sleep in a chair, and not me? _I wondered out of the blue. _I should crawl into her lap and see how she likes it._

The thought of that made me chuckle. I could only imagine her facial expression if she woke up and found me in her lap.

_She'd probably get up and try to kick my ass, _I thought humorous, _and given her skills, she stands a fighting chance. _

I grinned at her again, and ran my hand over the bandages she implemented for me. I wasn't sure of the material, but whatever it was it was loud. The fibers were course and grating.

_Sweet Farore! _I thought in disbelief at the loud sound. _What are these things made of? _

I tried to stop before Saria aroused, but it was no use, she stirred and woke up. When she saw I was sitting up, she stretched and smirked.

"Well, hello there sleeping beauty," she said to me softly.

I looked into her eyes surprised at the pleasant greeting, and grinned at her.

_She doesn't seem upset, _I thought gratefully, _thank the goddess for that._

"Hey," I replied softly.

She stared at me for a moment, getting a general overview of my disposition.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

I took in a deep sigh and shrugged.

"Alive, thanks to you," I replied.

She smiled at my answer.

"That's half the battle right?" she said, getting up and coming over to me. "How's your head?"

I rotated my neck from side to side to assess my head.

"It's good," I replied, "I have a little bit of a headache, but that's to be expected."

Saria nodded, and sat down next to me at the edge of the bed to check my wound. She undid the bandages carefully and took a look. The opening was sutured perfectly with no signs of dehiscence, or opening of the wound.

"Not bad for a seamstress," she said, impressed with her own work.

I smiled at her, silently awed by her level of skill with the needle.

"Not bad at all," I replied.

Saria leaned across me to grab a small salve in the window seal. It was a combination of Hylian bioflavonoid and protein. She gently dabbed some ointment on my stitches and rewrapped the bandages.

"You had purple chu jelly toxicity," she said to me abruptly when she got up.

I wasn't surprised at the diagnosis, but I was surprised that she knew what it was and alleviated it so quickly.

_Maybe I should ask her,_ I thought

"You have blue chu jelly?" I asked her, detracting the subject.

She paused for a moment and shrugged.

"Well... I didn't," she began honestly, "but the elderly gentleman who owns the lab does. I just borrowed some from him."

I felt a little guilty infringing myself on her like this _and_ making her take unnecessary risks. She just moved here. If she was caught stealing she could get kicked out.

"I'll be sure to pay him back," I promised.

She grinned at me.

"Don't worry about that," she replied, fanning my concerns off and sitting back down, "the important thing is you're better."

I looked away from her, my guilt never subsided.

_She's being so kind to me, _I thought, _even after what I said to her._

We were silent for a few minutes before Saria decided to break it.

"You want to tell me what happened?" she asked. "I'm all ears if you want to talk."

I looked back over at her and sighed.

_I might as well, _I thought, _I just have to be careful with what I say to her._

"Well... I'm sure you heard the news," I began, feeling I should start there.

Saria pursed her lips thoughtfully, and brought her knees to her chest in the chair.

"You mean the royal decree about you losing your privileges and the knighthood?" Saria replied sarcastic. "I haven't heard a word."

Whether she wanted to or not, her comment did make me grin. She had a natural flare for comedic undertone, and that's what I liked about her. She also seemed rational enough in her thinking, that she didn't allow her emotions to cloud her better judgement.

_She's a sensible woman, _I thought.

"Well, after all _that_, some nut came to visit me in my cell and made a threat on the princess's life," I replied, but realized I had gotten too loose with my lips, and paused for a moment.

Saria nodded, but looked perplexed.

"Some nut came to your cell?" she repeated me bewildered.

I knew I needed to be cautious with such sensitive information. The last thing I wanted was for Saria to get caught in the crossfire like before.

_Don't be such an idiot Link, _I scolded myself, _you're not a knight anymore, true, but use your sense of reason. _

"It doesn't matter," I replied making light of it, "it's not a big deal," I said, preparing to segue, "anyway I escaped, and then made my way here. That's how I came to be in your company."

She was silent for a moment at my explanation, but then nodded.

"Okay, well that sounded eventful," she said, deciding to drop the matter, she then jumped up enthusiastically and added, "I'll go make you some breakfast, are you hungry?"

_She got off of that quick, _I thought, finding her reaction a little odd, _I should be grateful, she probably feels it's none of her business._

I raised my eyebrows at the kind offer and her jovial mood. I nodded in agreement appreciatively.

"I'd like that," I replied, "thank you."

She put a huge smile on her face, and then went to pick up the basin on the table by the bed, however, I stopped her.

"I've got it," I said, "you stayed up all night taking care of me, the least I can do is clean up."

Saria looked at me surprised.

"It isn't a big deal," she said, "I can clean it up."

I shook my head no.

"I wouldn't feel right with you doing that," I replied.

Her surprised expression never left, instead she shrugged, and let the matter go.

"Okay," she said, "if you say so."

Saria put the dirty basin back down and went over to the clean one situated under the vanity mirror and casually checked her appearance. There was no need to she looked beautiful. She decided to brush her teeth and wash her face with some volcano soap before she headed downstairs. I was watching her the entire time, and couldn't but feel some of the kindness she was exhibiting towards me was forced.

_I know I was out of line the other day, _I thought, _why hasn't she brought that up yet? I mean even in passing; she hasn't said a word._

"That's better," she said once she was done, "can't have bad breath, and a dirty face when you're making breakfast, right?"

I grinned at her and nodded.

"True," I agreed.

She winked at me and headed for the door, but before she got a chance to open it, I stopped her.

_Something about all this doesn't seem right, _I thought.

"Saria wait," I said.

She paused, I knew she could tell by my tone that I had something serious to say. She probably already knew what it was.

"Yes?" she replied, not turning to look at me.

I paused for a moment, not sure how I should approach this, but then got up and walked over to her. She still wouldn't turn to look at me.

_Just ask Link, _I thought.

"Are you angry with me?" I inquired point blank.

Saria sighed irritably at the question and didn't answer. I didn't want us going on pretending that there wasn't some tension between us.

"Please Saria," I said, not letting up, "I need to know."

Saria let her head fall back, and she let out a low groan. She didn't reply right away.

"No Link," she said finally, "I'm not angry with you."

There was a brief silence between us, and I really wanted her to look at me. I hated the thought of apologizing, and not doing it face to face.

"I didn't mean-" I tried.

She turned around just then and stopped me.

"I don't want to talk about it," she interrupted quietly.

I stared into her eyes feeling guilty. I bit my lower lip and scratched my chin.

"But I said some-" I tried again.

"I remember what you said," she segued, and avoided my eyes, "just forget it, it doesn't matter. I had a lot of time to think about it, and you were right. I was deceitful to you, and I shouldn't have been."

I sighed and took hold of her shoulders.

"Even still," I said, "I had no right to say those things to you. I don't even know why I said them."

Saria blushed and looked down. She shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know why you said them," she said simply, "you were angry, and I was out of place, but I understand."

I took in a deep sigh when she said that, and I knew she didn't want me to, but I took her in a hug and held her tight.

"Thanks for being so understanding," I whispered against her hair.

Saria reluctantly hugged me back, and sighed.

"It's no problem," she said, "what are friends for?"

It was rhetorical, but I grinned at it anyway. We stood holding each other for a moment when Saria broke the silence.

"Um..." she trailed slightly nervous, "I just wanted to clarify something with you though."

I pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"What's that?" I asked.

Saria's face was burning and she wouldn't look at me.

"Even though I was completely at fault for trying to seduce you," she said, "I... I just want you to know, I'm not that kind of woman usually."

I felt terrible that she felt she had to say this to me.

_I'm such a jerk, _I thought.

"Saria I know that, I-" I tried.

She shook her head and put her finger to my lips.

"I don't think you do," she said, and then divulged, "what I mean is, you would've been the... _first_... ever. The only reason I acted like that was because I thought that was how a woman was supposed to act when they seduced a man."

It took a moment for what she said to register, but when it did, I felt like an even bigger fool.

_Damn it! _I thought.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

She nodded and looked down at her hands.

"Saria-" I tried.

"We're both adults, let's not make a bigger deal about this than we should okay?" she asked, and I knew she didn't want to discuss the matter any longer.

I closed my mouth, not sure I agreed, but I nodded anyway. If there was one thing I knew about women, it was they always had two different meanings to everything they said: one was the truth, and the other was their intuition. I didn't want to mess with either in Saria's case.

"Okay," I replied quietly, "but if you change your mind you know we can talk, right?'

Saria nodded her answer, then looked up at me and smiled.

"What would you like to eat?" she asked me abruptly.

I hadn't even given food a thought, but now that it was addressed, I was hungry.

_Anything but gruel, _I thought.

"Uh…" I trailed, "whatever you make is fine."

She nodded impressed.

"You're learning," she said, then added, "Zelda will be very proud."

I looked at her thoughtfully just then, and realized the comment was a defense mechanism. She avoided my eyes again.

_She's being cautious, _I thought.

"I... think that might be over Saria," I said quietly.

Saria looked at me surprised, but then shook her head.

"Don't let eight years go down the drain over one misunderstanding," she said to me serious, "you two love each other too much to let your relationship go over something silly like this."

I paused after hearing that. I never recalled telling her how long I was with Zelda, however, it could've slipped in passing during a conversation. Even still, I wanted to inquire of it.

"How do you know I was with Zelda for a eight years?" I asked.

The question was asked in a casual manner, but Saria characteristically blushed.

"Uh... good guess I guess," she replied, and then quickly added, "you'll see you two are right for each other in the end."

She looked at me and smiled again, but I could tell it was forced. I could tell this whole 'everything is okay' persona was forced. Saria just didn't want to get hurt again, and I could understand that. If I hadn't been so insistent and callous towards her in the beginning, maybe she'd feel differently. In any such case, I decided to change the subject.

_This is making her feel uncomfortable, _I thought, _I can tell._

"Where's my tunic?" I asked, and stepped back.

Saria crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

"That filthy thing?" she replied. "I washed it out. It took me two hours last night to get all the blood out. It's probably dry now."

I looked at her thankfully and nodded, her spunk had returned.

"Well, can I have it?" I asked, not knowing if I should or not.

Saria looked at me like I was crazy.

"Before you have a bath?" she said incredulous. "No! You're going to wash your soon to be royal behind just like anyone else."

I was taken aback, I had no reply to that.

_I think I need to reiterate that partially, _I thought, _it looks like her spunk has returned in full effect._

"Besides," she said, narrowing her eyes seductively at me all of a sudden, "I prefer you much better without a shirt on. I get to look at those rippling pectorals and those monster crossbows you're packing for arms. You are just a total stud, aren't you?"

I looked at her surprised at the outright flirting. I knew she had playful intentions, but my eyes widened and my cheeks flushed anyway.

_Really? _I thought in disbelief. _I can't handle one compliment from this woman without turning red?_

"Uh… thanks?" I replied, not knowing what else to say.

Saria took a step towards me and bit her lower lip.

"Come on, puff out your chest," she requested all of a sudden.

I looked at her like she was crazy.

"What?" I asked.

She groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Come on, just do it!" she said. "Stop being so bloody serious all the time."

I sighed, thinking peer pressure would have gotten easier with age, it seemed I was wrong.

_Give the woman what she wants, _I thought, but I had to admit she was coaxing my ego as well.

I stood erect, and effectively puffed my chest out.

"There," I said, "are you happy now?"

Saria nodded.

"That's what I'm talking about!" she said with enthusiasm. "You're the First Knight of Hyrule, you should wear that proudly! Chest out, shoulders back, knees straight, ten hut damn it! You're the man!"

I tried fighting it, but she did make me laugh with that statement. There was something about her quirky, lighthearted nature that I found very refreshing. I even kept the chest puff going.

"How about that?" I asked, flexing my pecks. "Does that look good?"

"There you go, now you're in touch with your inner peacock," she went on, "every knight should be in touch with their inner peacock."

I continued to grin at her, and shook my head at her silliness.

"Really?" I replied. "My inner peacock?"

"Yes, really," she said, "you'd do well to remember that, anyway I'm glad we had this talk."

I smiled at her.

"So, you're ending the discussion?" I said to her. "Okay, well I got news for you." I replied, knowing what I was about to tell her wasn't really news at all.

Saria raised her eyebrows and looked at me with expectance.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm not a knight anymore," I divulged.

Saria fanned the comment off.

"You will be again," she said with confidence.

I raised my eyebrows, and grinned at her.

"Do you know something I don't?" I asked.

Saria shrugged and teetered playfully on her heels.

"Maybe," she replied.

I nodded, staring into her pretty eyes.

"I see," I said, thinking nothing of it.

Saria stared back for a moment. It was a deep tender stare.

"I really do think you're wonderful Link," she said to me in a moment of seriousness, "and no matter what happens, I'm glad you came to me for help."

I looked at her slightly taken aback at the seriousness of her words. However, before I could respond, she caught herself and she balled her fists up. She then placed them side by side each other, and stretched out her arms in front of me.

_What's she doing? _I wondered.

"Uh..." I trailed, and gave her an offhanded stare.

Saria grinned.

"I think we said what we needed to say," she said, "and to make it official, I think we should end it with a fist bump."

_Is she serious? _I thought.

"A fist bump?" I repeated, looking at her outstretched arms.

I chuckled at her, but Saria kept her face completely staid.

"What is so funny?" she replied. "I'm dead serious."

_She's very charming in her own way, _I thought.

I shrugged, not questioning her actions further, balled up my fists, and effectively bumped hers.

"Alright!" she said, raising her arms in the air when it was over. "I think Mr. Killjoy is almost dead!"

I shook my head when she said that.

_Was I_ that _serious when I first met her? _I wondered, then stared at her for a moment. _She's trying so hard to make things okay between us. The reality is,_ I_ should be doing this._

"Uh…" I began, wanting to match her enthusiasm, "death to Mr. Killjoy!"

Saria smiled immediately, and put her hands on her hips in disbelief.

"Who are you, and what have you done to the real Link?" she asked rhetorically. "Because you can't be him, he would never kill Mr. Killjoy."

I chuckled again.

_I guess she has a point, _I thought.

She smiled at me genuinely for a moment, and stroked a hand through her hair.

"It's good to hear you laugh," she said softly, then turned and headed for the door. "Alright, Hylian bass and cuckoo eggs await!"

I watched her as she left.

"Hey Saria," I called to her.

She turned and looked at me in expectance.

"Hmm?" she moaned.

I smiled at her.

"Thanks," I said.

Saria smiled back.

"You're welcome," she replied, "call me if you need me."

I stared into her eyes and nodded.

"I will," I said, but I had to catch my tone.

Saria either didn't catch it, or ignored it, in any such case, she took her leave. I grinned at the closed door, then got up to get ready for the day. I cleaned up the mess on the table first, before washing up and getting dressed. After being nearly chastised by Saria, I made sure I was extra cleansed, and shaved even though I didn't necessarily need to.

_Better to be safe than sorry, _I thought, checking my appearance in the mirror.

After I was sure I looked okay, I headed downstairs. Saria was in the small kitchen pouring Lon Lon milk in a cup and had my breakfast ready for me: Hylian bass and boiled cuckoo eggs like she promised. I sat down and ate with her but looked around surprised that it was only the two of us there. The old man who owned the Sea Side Laboratory was very senile, or at least he seemed that way, however, he was extremely brilliant. He developed medicines for ophthalmic use, and though he seemed like the studious type, it was rare for him to be away.

_This is strange, even for him, _I thought.

"Where's the old man?" I asked Saria.

She raised her eyebrows and shrugged at my question.

"He said he was going to be gone for a few days," she replied, "he said something about doing further research on the giant Goron he cured a few years back."

I paused and grinned, remembering the scavenger hunt to get that Goron his eye drops.

_I wonder how he's doing, _I pondered.

"What's so funny?" she asked, picking up our plates and washing them out once we were done.

I shook my head, and got up from the table to help her dry the dishes.

"Nothing," I said absently, putting the ceramic ware away, and throwing down the rag on the counter.

Saria sighed, and dried her hands off.

"So, what now?" she asked me.

I took in a deep breath.

_That's a good question, _I thought.

"I need a place to stay for a few days," I said to her honestly, "you can say no, but you'd be really helping me out if you said yes."

Saria gave me an offhanded look, and playfully pushed my shoulder.

"Of course you can stay," she replied, "and for as long as you need to."

I sighed in relief at her saying that.

"You know you're putting yourself at risk for aiding a fugitive, right?" I stated. "If the risk is too high, then I don't want you doing this."

Saria looked at me serious.

"I knew what the risks were when I opened that door and took you in this morning," she replied. "It's okay, I want to help you."

I stared into her eyes gratefully.

"Thanks," I said, but then I remembered this wasn't her residence, "what about the old man?" I asked.

Saria shook her head.

"Don't worry about him," she said to me, "he'll be gone for awhile."

I took in a deep breath in relief.

"If the guard comes asking about me, don't worry I 'll leave," I said, "I won't be an unnecessary burden to you."

Saria nodded, then a puzzled expression came across her face.

"What about your horse?" she asked. "You might want to call for her only when you need her."

I raised an eyebrow, and looked at her impressed with her foresight.

"That's a good idea," I said.

"So, what are you going to do today?" she asked me.

I thought about that, knowing I needed to square some important matters away.

_"...Go see the Deku Tree..." _the assassin's voice echoed through my mind just then.

"Well," I said, "I need to see the guardian of the forest."

Saria turned and looked at me eager suddenly.

"You're going to see the Deku Tree?" she asked surprised. "Can I go with you?"

I grinned at her, and would have loved to have taken her with me, but it was too dangerous. If she was seen with me, she would have been jailed instantly.

_I won't allow that to happen, _I thought, _she's done enough for me by helping me and taking me in._

"I'm a fugitive right now," I stated, "if I get caught I'm going back to jail, and you will too if you're with me."

Saria sighed disappointed and looked away.

"I see your point," she said.

I put my hands on her shoulders and tried to reassure her.

"I'll find out what the Deku Tree is keeping from you, and come back and tell you everything, okay?" I promised.

Saria tried to smile and nodded.

"Okay," she replied, looking away from me.

_She really wants some answers, _I thought, _well, I don't blame her._

I was about to give her a hug, when all of a sudden she cried out in agony and bent over.

"Ah!" she cried.

She gripped her head in pain.

I looked at her stunned.

_What in the-? _I thought.

"Saria!" I said in alarm.

I tried to take hold of her so she won't fall, but she wrestled out of my grip.

"No!" she said to me. "Let me do it!"

Saria went, sat back down at the table, and rested her head between her legs as she did before. However, this time there was another symptom. Her whole body began to flicker and look translucent, it was only for a few seconds, but it looked as though she were disappearing.

"Oh my goddess!" I said in panic. "What the hell...?"

Saria cried out for a few moments more, and then the pain finally subsided. When it was over, she looked away from me embarrassed. I stared at her in disbelief.

"Are you alright?" I asked, placing my hand on her shoulder.

She just nodded, and wouldn't look at me.

_What the hell is going on here? _I thought.

I swallowed hard.

"You-you were disappearing," I said to her, stating the obvious.

It was dumb, but I didn't know what else to say.

"I noticed," she said sarcastic, running her fingers through her hair.

I understood her irritation.

"How?" I asked. "Why?"

Saria shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know," she replied.

I pursed my lips together at hearing that.

_What in Farore's name happened to her? _I thought.

We were silent for a moment and I went to kneel down in front of her in her seat. Saria was looking down at her hands and trembling slightly. I couldn't blame her, that would have been a terrifying experience for anybody. I reached up and stroked my hand over her cheek, and immediately she jumped up and pushed away from me. I looked at her shocked.

_What's this? _I wondered.

Saria took several stumbling steps back away from me. She looked scared. I didn't know what to say. I didn't understand why she was reacting this way.

"Saria-" I started concerned.

"Please, just go," she interrupted me all of a sudden.

I looked at her surprised.

_What is all this about? _I wondered. _Why did she jump like that?_

I took a step towards her.

"I'm worried about you," I said in honesty, "I want to make sure you're okay."

Saria stared into my eyes, but then cut her gaze short.

"I'm fine," she replied.

_Okay, now she's lying, _I thought.

"Saria-" I tried.

"I'm fine Link!" she snapped. "Just please... just go!"

I looked at her, not satisfied with what she was telling me.

_She's hiding something from me, _I thought, _I don't know what it is, but she's definitely keeping something from me._

I took another step towards her, but this time she took a step back. I paused when I saw her do that. I took in a frustrated sigh when I realized she was going to be difficult, and decided to leave the matter alone.

_I won't get anything out of her like this, _I thought, _it's best just to leave it alone and come back to it when she's ready._

"When you're ready to tell me you will, won't you?" I asked her softly.

Saria nodded, but I couldn't tell if she was being sincere or not.

_Come on Sar, _I thought, _talk to me._

She stroked her hands through her beautiful hair and tried to smile.

"Don't worry, I'm tough," she tried to joke.

I looked at her serious.

_I am worried though, _I thought, but tried not to make a big deal about it for her sake.

I went up to her and took her in my arms anyway, and gave her a tight secure hug. I noticed it took her a few moments to hug me back.

_What's going on Saria? _I wondered.

When I pulled away, she wouldn't look at me again.

"We'll talk later," I said, more as a promise than a request, "okay."

She only nodded.

Having to be satisfied with that, I told her to be safe and headed out the house to Kokiri Forest.

I had a long overdue appointment with the Deku Tree.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. The next chapter will be up later this week.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Inspirations: "Time" by Hans Zimmer from the "Inception" soundtrack.**

**Major SHOUT OUT: To my boy OA author of the incredible fanfiction 'Visions,' check it out if you haven't already (he's a regular reviewer if you want his full name).**

**Orignal Shout Outs: Joseph Kuo: Dude I'm love with your "Madness" check it out, it's an awesome story.**

**New Shout Outs: LoveMadness, and Cimar Tiralis thanks for reading.**

**Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012 ADDENDUM 1/15/2013- I highly recommend listening to the song "Time" with the scene of Link inside the Deku Tree (yes, you read that right). You have to start the music once Link is inside, and end it when its over. I wrote the entire sequence in tandem with the music. I hope you listen while you read, because the next several chapters are all influenced by songs (with the exception of chapter 10). This may seem silly and corny, but I'm a silly corny person lol. Thanks for reading. ~ZR~. **

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

When I left the Seaside Laboratory, I didn't take Epona. I needed to keep, and maintain a low profile. I wore a dark brown cloak over my standard green tunic, and kept myself hooded. The expanse of Hyrule Field was wide and spacious, so I was taking a great risk travelling across it the way I was. Even still, I was careful, making sure to hide behind trees and small thickets as I made my way to Kokiri Impasse.

I had to halt several times when I saw riders ride by. I knew this was only the beginning of Daphnes' search for me. He wasn't going to stop until I was recaptured and brought into custody. I passed Lon Lon Ranch quickly, realizing I could have stayed with Malon as an alternative to Saria at Lake Hylia. However, with the proximity of the castle and the obvious friendship I had with her, that would have too obvious of a place to go. Even still, I did need to visit her to reassure her that I was okay, but I couldn't do it at this time. I had to hurry and see the Deku Tree.

I paused for a moment while I thought about that. It was strange that I was going to see the Deku Tree on the premise of an assassin's word. There was absolutely no reason for me to take anything he said at face value. However, there was something about that killer that felt haunting and familiar. I didn't understand why, or what it was, but there was definitely something about him that was... auspicious.

_I don't know what it is now, _I thought, _but I will find out._

I travelled over the small wooden bridge to Kokiri Forest, fully intending to get answers to my questions. I was tired of being left in the dark. The Deku Tree. The King. Zelda. Zant. Even Saria. Everyone had a story to tell. I wanted to know them all. It made no sense for all this secrecy to prevail when times were so dangerous.

_I can't go for the run around like I did before, _I thought, _I need clarity._

I entered the Deku Tree's alcove without any questions or issues. I was fortunate I didn't get too much hassle from the Kokiri that day. They probably saw the determined look on my face, and decided to leave me alone. The Deku Tree was in a slumber when I approached, but a moment later green quanta, or particles of light, iridized like a differential progression across the commodious expanse of space. The ground reverberated and oscillations of sound cadenced off the branches and foliage of its leaves. I raised my hands to cover my face when the light got brighter, and stayed that way until the magnificence subsided. When the Deku Tree fully awakened, I looked up at it in silent reverence.

_I will never get tired of that, _I thought.

"A king's interdict, and a recent fall from grace, slow not a true warriors heart down," the Deku Tree said, "for this is so of you is it not, young hero?"

I grinned and nodded at the tree's use of rhetoric.

_The Deku Tree speaks better Hylian than I do, _I thought.

"These are certainly urgent times," it went on, "you are urgent of heart, are you not Link?"

_Urgent is an understatement, _I thought.

I nodded.

"I need some answers great Deku Tree," I replied, "I need to know the truth. I'm surrounded by so many mysteries and secrets, that I don't know which one to address first."

The Deku Tree fell silent for a moment.

"I will help you sort them out to the best of my abilities," the Deku Tree said evasively.

I raised my eyebrows and stared at it when it said that.

_That's pretty vague, _I thought, _because you have some pretty noteworthy abilities._

"Alright," I replied, hoping for the best.

"What is your first question?" the Deku Tree asked.

_I should probably start with the most recent turn of events, _I thought.

"I recently came across an individual who plans to assassinate Zelda," I began, "I learned this killer was hired by Zant."

The Deku Tree paused for a moment.

"There was a threat placed upon the princess?" it inquired.

I nodded.

"Yes," I replied.

The tree seemed unsettled with this news, but honestly who wouldn't be.

"Go on young master," the Deku Tree said.

I didn't want to waste anymore time hesitating. All I knew was I needed to know answers and needed to know them now.

_This has gone on for long enough, _I thought.

"Why is Zant so blood thirsty?" I asked point blank. "Why is he so vengeful towards the royal family?"

The Deku Tree grew quiet at my inquiries before it spoke.

"Zant is a being from the Twilight Realm," the Deku Tree divulged,"his father was the leader of the Dark Tribe, who was used by the former king of Hyrule to beat back another incarnation of Demise."

I nodded at the information.

"Yes," I replied, "I know that already. What I don't understand is, why the bad blood between the two parties? It doesn't make sense to me."

The Deku Tree fell silent again, maybe too long that time.

_What's this? _I wondered.

"Deku Tree?" I inquired, wanting it to continue.

There was a shift in the breeze and a cold chill in the air. It came from the tunnel leading to the alcove and it didn't feel natural at all. It actually made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

_What was that? _I wondered looking over my shoulder to the tunnel. _This is the same feeling I got when... _I shook my head of my thoughts, needing to stay focused, _it's nothing Link, _I thought, _stop spooking yourself._

I turned my attention back to the Deku Tree, and that was when I took note of the subtle nuance in its bark. The sap was expectorating from many different seams and crevices. I had never seen the tree like this before. I looked at it concerned.

_What's going on? _I wondered.

"Deku Tree, are you alright?" I asked.

The tree paused for a moment and stared at me.

"What I am about to tell you is of the utmost secrecy," the tree said to me, ignoring my question, "it must never get out. Never."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise at the gravity of what it was going to tell me.

_Never get out..._ I thought with unease, _am I sure I want to know?_

I couldn't piggyback on indecision. I came here with the distinct purpose of getting answers. I couldn't cower on the side of fear now.

_It's time to know the truth, _I thought.

"You have my promise," I swore finally, "I won't tell anyone."

The Deku Tree fell silent again, but then abruptly opened its mouth at the base of the trunk. I looked at the tree puzzled. It had been fifteen years since my descent into the first Deku Tree, with the intention of killing Ghoma. Now, the forefather's successor wanted me to venture forth as well. I looked at the opening and then to the branches in difference.

"What is this all about?" I asked.

"You want answers to your questions, young master," the Deku Tree said with its trunk ajar. "If you want the truth then you must enter."

I suddenly got a very uneasy feeling about the entire matter.

_What could be so terrible that the _Deku Tree_ feels that it shouldn't be said in the open? _I wondered.

I looked from the branches to the opened trunk, and took in a deep breath.

_It's now or never, _I thought, then walked inside.

The Deku Tree sealed up its opening behind me, and everything became dark. I looked behind me in slight alarm, but then turned back around and walked a few steps ahead of me. I smelled xylem and phloem inside the dank tree, and stepped in weeping sap that scented of fern and maple essence. Everything was pitch black as I waited for what was to come next.

_I wasn't expecting anything like this, _I thought.

Out of nowhere, a sudden cascade of bright lights flashed and swirled around me like a transfixed cadence. It rotated and twirled, until it bore an image in the air. It was the scene of a great war. My eyes grew wide at the spectacle.

_What in the world? _I thought in disbelief.

A tall demonic looking figure with flame red orange hair, scaly dragon like skin, and a countenance of the nether regions was leading a vast army of dark forces. In his hand was a great six pronged, full tang sword with an inverted Triforce representing his position against Hyrule and the goddesses. It was Demise, or another incarnation of him.

I watched in wonder as the scene unfolded.

"The Great War," I whispered.

There was a battle with the then Hero of Legend. He and Demise clashed swords back and forth for what seemed like forever. However, Demise did not prevail and was defeated by the power of the Master Sword.

The lights swirled and shifted until another scene bore through.

The scene showed hordes of monsters that made up Demise's army being chased into the bowels of the earth by coalition forces. The most dynamic aspect of the coalition forces was the segment of the Twili. They were fierce, powerful warriors, and were the primary reason for the coalition victory. Shadowy looking Twili soldiers thrashed and pummeled at the demon horde with tenacious ferocity. The faction was led by a powerful looking, broad chested Twili, with an unbelievable countenance. His hair was fiery blue and he towered over his foes.

_That must be Zant's father, _I thought, watching the scene play out in amazement.

The lights shifted and rotated differentially, until another scene appeared.

The leader of the Twili forces effectively cleared the land and was awaiting payment at Hyrule Castle; a piece of the Triforce of Power. He received no such payment. The lights shifted again and a new scene appeared. It was at a place I had never seen before. There was a great mirror in the middle of the desert and a circular gazebo with equal columns surrounding it.

_Gerudo desert? _I thought flummoxed. _But where is this? I've never seen any of this before._

The lights flashed again differentiating the scene. A flash of the words 'Arbiter's Grounds' came into view, then another flash of desert.

_This must be beyond the Haunted Wasteland,_ I thought.

The lights flashed again and the then king of Hyrule appeared in that same desert place.

_Daphnes' grandfather, _I thought.

The lights shifted, showing the Twili ruler now at the same Arbiter's Grounds with his head resting on a stone block. The lights swirled and shifted again, showing the Twili ruler being stripped of his armor, something called the 'Fused Shadow,' and apparently was awaiting death. He looked solemn, but at peace. A great executioner's axe was raised above his head. The scene cut to a little Twili child with big yellow eyes crying profusely, calling out to his father and begging for the king to set him free.

_"Father no!" _the little Twili boy cried out. _"Sire, please he's done nothing but help you!"_

My eyes widened in disbelief.

_Sweet Farore! _I thought shocked.

"Zant!" I heard myself say bewildered.

The little Twili child's pleas went unanswered, and he was forced down on the ground to watch as his father was beheaded. I looked on in horror, as the scene shifted again and the Twili leader's blood was splashed onto the mirror. The scene shifted again to a portal being opened in the mirror by a young Hylian scientist. It was Paul Dirac. The small Twili child was then shoved into the portal, and the portal was closed.

I couldn't believe it. I was sickened beyond belief.

_He was sent there alone? _I thought incredulously.

The lights then rose high into the treetops and shifted and swirled profusely. Finally, the particles dissipated, and I was left in a world of black again. The whole experience was incredible, and I was left dumbfounded by it. The Deku Tree then opened its trunk and let me out. I left in complete and utter astonishment.

_The Twili leader helped defeat Demise, only to be betrayed and murdered by the king of Hyrule, _I thought angrily, _and...and Zant was forced to watch, then was cast away into the Twilight Realm alone with... no one. No wonder he has so much vengeance. No wonder he has so much hatred._

I stood in the Deku Tree's presence, not knowing what to say or think.

This_ is what I've been fighting for? _I thought, questioning my loyalty. _A family with a history of this kind of betrayal and blood shed? No wonder Daphnes never wanted me to know the truth. He knew I would want no part of it._

The Deku Tree was staring at me the entire time as I thought.

"You are troubled young hero," the Deku Tree discerned, "however, you must remember what I told you not so long ago. What you find out may shake your confidence in protecting Hyrule."

_This is beyond shaking my confidence! _I thought. _This is downright insanity!_

I shook my head angry and confused.

"All this time I thought I knew what was really going on," I said absently to myself, "they killed Zant's father and made him watch. Those depraved barbarians!"

The Deku Tree was silent as I reflected.

I shook my head not wanting to believe what I just saw.

"How... could they do that?" I asked almost feeling like I had to. "How could they kill his father in front of him like that?"

The Deku Tree hesitated, but then said, "If the dark tribe had received a portion of the Triforce of Power they would have taken over Hyrule and everything would have been encased in twilight."

I looked up at the tree angrily just then.

"So that makes it right?" I demanded.

The Deku Tree paused at my inquiry.

"You are very young and do not know the ways of the world," the Deku Tree said to me. "It's hard to understand, when your ideals are so deeply ingrained."

I narrowed my eyes at the tree in surprise.

"What?" I replied. "Are you serious?"

The Deku Tree was silent. I think it knew that wasn't going to slide with me. I was _not _about to be told I was naive. Not after what I had been through in my youth. Not after all I had done and seen for Hyrule.

_You've got the wrong man, _I thought.

"I've travelled all over this country and seen things, and done things that still give me nightmares!" I replied back forcefully. "Don't tell me I don't know the ways of the world! I know plenty!"

The Deku Tree was silent again as if reflecting on what I said.

"What would you have done?" the Deku Tree asked me, breaking the silence.

I stood there uneasy, still reeling from what I just saw.

_There was so much blood, _I thought still in disbelief, _they made that child watch... with all that blood. _

I shook my head of the thought.

"I wouldn't have killed him," I replied honest, "I would have cast him away," I said, "I would've have created a seal, or something, but... but what they did was just barbaric. I didn't think I could witness such cruelty."

The Deku Tree was silent again.

I was trying to understand it all.

_That's why Zant wants to kill Zelda, _I thought, _that's why he's so obsessed with revenge. Look at what the ancestral family did to him._

There was a long tense silence between the Deku Tree and l.

"Do you have any other concerns young master?" the Deku Tree asked me, obviously wanting to change the subject.

I couldn't say I blamed it. One of the Deku Tree's duties was to be a protector of the royal family, it needed to redirect the conversation. I shook myself free of my thought process and tried to refocus. I did have other concerns I needed to address.

_Saria, _I thought suddenly, _I need to ask about Saria._

"I do have one more question," I began, having to remember my resolve, "it's concerning a friend of mine."

It was almost as if the Deku Tree's wood sapped when I said that.

"The young maiden with the green hair," the Deku Tree divulged, already knowing.

I looked at the tree perplexed.

_Is it that obvious? _I wondered.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"That young girl has been on your mind for quite some time," the Deku Tree said.

I nodded honestly.

_That's true, _I thought, not denying it.

"I know you said she has to find her story out on her own," I said, "but what about me? Can you tell me who she really is?"

The Deku Tree fell silent again.

"I will tell thee what I can," the Deku Tree replied, careful not to say too much.

I took in a deep breath when I heard that.

_More evasion, _I thought.

"Fine," I replied, realizing I had no choice, "who is she _really_?"

A breeze come through the alcove just then, rustling through some of the Deku Tree's branches.

"The young maiden known as Saria is indeed the same Kokiri girl that you grew up with young hero," the Deku Tree disclosed.

I felt my eyes widen and my heart stop momentarily.

_I knew it! _I thought, feeling a strong sense of vindication. _I knew it!_

From the moment I saw her, I knew there was something special about her. I knew she was the girl from my past. I knew she was more than an antiquated coincidence. That Hylian woman was my best friend. She really _was _my lost kindred spirit. Even still, I didn't know how it was possible. How was she able to become a Hylian when she had her duties as the Sage of the Forest?

_There's still some things I need to know, _I thought.

"But how?" I asked. "Saria is the Forest Sage."

The tree paused for a moment.

"Young Saria _was_ the Forest Sage," the Deku Tree corrected me, "she was relinquished of her duty."

I looked at the Deku Tree shocked.

_Relinquished? _I thought.

"Why?" I asked in disbelief.

The Deku Tree fell silent again.

I raised my eyebrows expectantly, wanting the tree to go on.

"Why was she relinquished Deku Tree?" I asked again, getting a little impatient.

The tree didn't answer right away.

"The barrier on Ganondorf's seal was breaking due to little Saria's lack of concentration," the Deku Tree stated carefully.

I looked at the Deku Tree perplexed.

"Precipitated by what?" I asked not understanding. "She was one of the strongest individuals mentally I know. She wouldn't-"

"It was precipitated by her love for you," the Deku Tree interrupted me.

I looked at the tree stunned.

"What?" I replied surprised.

"The seal needs the full power of all the sages," the Deku Tree stated, "Saria initially was very strong, but as time went on her love for you grew and she couldn't sustain her concentration on the seal alone. She wanted to get out of the sage-ship."

I couldn't believe it, all that time she was having the same doubts as I. So much so, it affected her ability to do her duty.

_Saria,_ I thought, not being able to believe she was really back.

I actually felt myself smile for a second, but then it quickly went away. Even with all this good news, something was not sitting right with me.

"If the Hylian woman is Saria the Forest Sage, why doesn't she remember anything?" I asked.

The Deku Tree was silent yet again. It had to be doing that for dramatic affect.

"Her memory was erased so she could live a normal life," the Deku Tree stated, "fresh; with a new start."

That sounded all nice and well, but I knew better, and something else was puzzling me too.

"_Why_ did she come back as a Hylian?" I asked.

The Deku Tree paused.

"That was her desire," it said simply, "that was her wish."

Even though the Deku Tree was telling me a great deal, I still felt as though there were some huge gaps in the story.

_Then why is she disappearing? _I thought. _If everything is 'fresh' and 'new' why is she having such a hard time in her new life?_

"She's starting to disappear great Deku Tree," I divulged, looking to the ground, then looking up at it again, "why is that happening?"

There was a tense retrograde g-force in the woodland suddenly.

_What in the...? _I thought, feeling the gravity shift around me for a moment.

I looked up at the Deku Tree.

_Is... is that coming from the Deku Tree? _I wondered.

"What?" The Deku Tree said in alarm. "Saria is disappearing?"

The alarm in the Deku Tree's voice signaled several of my own.

_Why is it reacting like this? _I pondered upset. _What is so significant about her disappearing?_

"What does that mean Deku Tree?" I demanded suddenly, trying to speak above the reverberating forces. "What aren't you telling me?"

The pressure exerted was suddenly released like a pulsar. The blowback nearly knocked me out.

_My goddess!_ I thought in disbelief as I fell on my behind._ Those are some strong emotions coming from a tree._

I got back up when silence fell upon the woodland once more.

"Deku Tree?" I asked, breaking the silence. "Please!" I demanded. "Tell me!"

The Deku Tree reflected for a moment.

"I cannot tell you," the Deku Tree said finally, "I'm sorry master Link."

I took in a frustrated breath.

"Why?" I asked.

"It is not for you to know," the Deku Tree told me, "at least, not right now."

_More damn circles when I finally thought I was getting somewhere, _I thought, _this is ridiculous!_

"But I-" I tried.

"Drop the matter young master," the Deku Tree told me, "I will not tell you."

I looked at the tree stunned. That was the first time the Deku Tree was ever forceful in its nature.

_This is serious, _I thought.

"Fine," I replied, realizing I had no choice and dropped the matter.

There was another silence over the course of the next few moments. All of this was so strange, and there were other things that just didn't make sense.

_How is the seal still intact if Saria is here? _I thought. _All six sages are needed to confine the seal._

That I needed to know.

"The seal is still up," I began, changing the subject, "how is that possible without the presence of the Forest Sage?"

The Deku Tree ruffled its leaves.

_Finally, _I thought,_ a subject you like._

"Ah, but there is a Forest Sage," the Deku Tree revealed.

I narrowed my eyes in confusion.

_Wait a minute, what? _I thought.

"Who?" I asked surprised.

The Deku Tree paused.

"A little Kokiri by the name of Mido has resumed the role," the Deku Tree divulged, "he has shown he has a pure heart by making the ultimate sacrifice to save his friend."

My mouth dropped at the revelation.

"He saw the burden was too much for Saria and said he would take her place," the Deku Tree went on.

_Mido? _I thought in shock. _The bully who hated my guts? He's the new forest sage?_

"That astonishes you great hero?" The Deku Tree asked with laughter in its voice. "The other Deku Tree knew well of your troubles with young Mido."

_Troubles?_ I pondered._ That guy was a jerk! _I thought, but had to admire his unwavering loyalty to Saria. I paused for a moment and had a realization about the other day.

_That's what the Kokiri were talking about when they said Mido had been gone for five year, I thought, feeling my heart accelerate, _he had taken over the sage-ship.__

Five years.

Wait a minute, something wasn't adding up.

_Why haven't I seen Saria as a Hylian until just recently then? _I wondered. _I know she lived in Ordon briefly, but why the intense secrecy regarding her identity? If she was a Hylian all this time, why wasn't I notified? She was my best friend for crying out loud, I had a right to know._

That thought wasn't sitting well with me. The look of inquiry must have shone on my face.

"You still have many questions don't you, master Link?" the Deku Tree inquired of my expression.

I merely nodded, but I didn't bother to share. I figured I wasn't going to get the answers to those questions from the Deku Tree anyway.

"It's just a lot to take in," I verbalized.

The tree rustled its leaves.

"Indeed," the Deku tree replied.

There was a thoughtful silence that precluded us, when out of nowhere a loud scream came from the main area of Kokiri Forest. I turned in surprise at the sound.

_What in the...? _I thought.

"An intruder has infiltrated the forest!" the Deku Tree exclaimed.

_Oh no, _I thought, _what the hell is going on?_

I immediately ran towards the tunnel leading to the forest residences. When I got there I stopped short, and I looked across the expanse to see a tall, slender, greyish blue skinned figure, with almond shaped yellow eyes. It was Zant.

"Damn it," I muttered to myself, then realized _that's _what that chill earlier was.

_It was the same sensation I had when I was back in Ordon, _I thought, _it must be the energy from the portal rift._

He smirked when he saw me.

"I knew we'd meet again," he called out to me.

I looked around and saw there were fifty or so Twili with him.

_This isn't good, _I thought, looking at my one sword and my one... well me.

Zant smiled when he saw the expression on my face

"The encroachment has begun," he mocked with a wicked laugh, then pointed for his followers to attack.

They came quick, and all charged for me. I took out my sword, and assumed my battle stance. There was no way I was not going to defend the forest. I just didn't know how this was going to take place.

_I'm going to need a miracle to get out of this one, _I thought, and then ran to join the party.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 10 will be up soon.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Inspirations: Irony in its most relative form... if you don't understand now, you will later. The calm always comes before the storm.**

**Original Shout Outs: Pip-Indigo and The Pilot for their editing prowess. Thank you very much! Paul (I don't skype, but I'm flattered lol!) HungDeadScreaming, modern hero of time, Hunter113: I put a special something in here just for you. You'll know when you read (I told you I wasn't, but I did).**

**Shout Out: X (I'm sorry for taking so long, but I promise I won't abandon this story), Curiosity, SunFlowerIce, thank you all for reading.**

**Check Out: MsBBSue's "Ocarina of Time: The Way it Should Have Went Down" it is hilarious!**

**Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012, ADDENDUM 1/21/2013- I was going to add two scenes in this chapter, but I'll just add them to the next chapter. Thanks. ~ZR~.**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

A strange visceral light suddenly casted over the forest.

_What is that? _I thought.

Everything looked like dusk. A strange luminescence of golden brown iridescence showered over the portion of the forest where Zant and his henchmen were standing, and was slowly expanding outward. All the Kokiri were indoors, obviously taking refuge from their precious forest was being invaded. I raised my sword, and prepared to meet Zant and the shadow beasts head on.

_I have to fight them all at once, _I thought, _this is going to be a massacre...and I'm not talking about for them._

I had no other options. If I didn't stop them, then Zant would kill the Kokiri, and make his way to Hyrule and storm the castle. I had to stay focused and take out as many of them out as possible. I ran into a charge and initiated my jump attack. When I passed the ethereal light demarcation something strange happened. As soon as I landed in the luminescence my whole body transformed.

Literally.

I wish I were kidding.

_What the hell...? _I pondered, but let it trail.

The encapsulation felt like a momentary torture when my body fixated itself in positions it was not anatomically designed to do.

"Ah!" I cried out in pain.

When I looked up, I realized my entire center of gravity was low. My neck was angled horizontally straight, as opposed to vertically straight with an odd abduction of my foramen magnum.

_I can't move my head like I used to, _I thought, feeling a sudden onset of panic.

I was hunched over on all fours, and I realized I had longer sharp canines curling down my chin with a feral growl.

_What the hell? _I thought bewildered, as I tried to stand. _Did I turn into a dog?_

I tried to force myself to stand, but it was no use. There was no way my body was going to position itself other than what it was doing.

_This cannot be happening right now! _I thought angrily.

As I was dealing with my new anatomical dilemma, Zant's small army was advancing closer.

_Damn it! _I thought, then made a hurried decision.

I turned around and headed for the line of demarcation between the regular light and apparently this... twilight. When I crossed back over to the light of Hyrule, I immediately transformed back to my normal human self. The process was painful just as the first, but I was grateful to be in a form that I was familiar with. I stood there in a temporary shock, trying to understand what was happening. What was going on? Why was this twilight causing me to transform?

_How in the hell am I supposed to defeat these monsters if I transform into something else and can't fight? _I thought, feeling a rare sensation of panic run through my body.

I drew back having to reformulate another action of attack.

_What the hell am I going to do? _I thought.

Zant saw my apprehension and was going to take advantage of it. He knew that I was at a loss because of my unfamiliarity with his battle tactics. Twilight logistics and Twili informatics was not something I was advanced in. Even still, I had to do something, but what, was the question.

_How in the world do you defeat a foe when you don't know anything about them? _I wondered, having to think fast.

My first thought would be to stay back and study them, however, I wasn't afforded that luxury. They were charging fast, and I had to think of something quick.

_Come Link, _I told myself, _think! _

Zant laughed when he saw the expression on my face. "Is this the reckoning you were promising First Knight?" he taunted. "Or should I say, former First Knight?"

I narrowed my eyes angrily and had a thought just then. I pulled out my bow and readied an arrow, realizing a long distance assault was my only option.

_I hope this works, _I thought.

I fired a shot, but the arrow went right through one of the shadow beast's visages as if it were nothing. My eyes widened in astonishment, realizing I had no more options.

_What the hell...am I going to do? _I thought again. _Seriously._

The horde was getting closer, and I still had no idea into how I was going to defeat them.

_Hyrule will be lost if I don't do something soon, _I thought.

Not one to go down easily, I got into a melee position and readied to fight that way. Bare knuckled, or with a sword, I was going to defend my country. However, I realized my grandstanding wasn't necessary, because out of nowhere a whiz of light flashed through the air from behind me. I watched as the flash of light broke through the golden twilight barrier, and pierced into one of the faces of the shadow beasts. The beast shrieked in pain and then suddenly disappeared.

_Who in the...?_ I thought.

Apparently, Zant had the same thought process, because suddenly he halted his advance and looked beyond me. I turned to see what caused the abatement as well. The light, which I then realized came from an arrow, was fired from a young female dressed in hunting gear with blonde hair. It was Zelda. My eyes widened with surprise.

"What are you doing here?" I couldn't help but ask her.

"Worry about that later!" she said to me, which was an appropriate rebuttal. "Turn around and fight!"

Zelda then threw to me the power of the sacred light arrow.

_Of course! _I thought, catching the crystal and infusing it into the arrows in my quiver. _Light arrows are the perfect neutralizer for the shadow beasts dark energy._

Zelda stopped short of me and kneeled taking another shot. She blasted another beast, then took another shot. Her accuracy was far greater than from the hunt.

_Someone's been practicing, _I thought impressed, then kneeled and took a shot of my own.

The shadow beasts were falling quickly as both Zelda and I were stationary and shooting with pinpoint accuracy. With their weakness found, Zant's small army didn't seem so intimidating. In fact, Zant even seemed a little wary of what happening himself, so much so, he sounded for a retreat, but only for himself.

"Keep them occupied!" Zant commanded the shadow beasts, then headed back into the Lost Woods.

_Damn it! _I thought angrily, as I had no choice but to watch as he got away. _That savage coward!_

I noticed that as the shadow beasts fell, the light of the twilight began to diffract. The diffraction flickered sporadically like an electrical current. I didn't see it before, but as more shadow beasts fell, a portal showed itself in the back of the woodlands.

_That's how they're getting in here, _I thought, then an idea quickly crossed my mind.

Instead of aiming for the monsters, I aimed for the portal and fired two arrows. Zelda saw what I was doing, and immediately added two more to the cluster. A moment later, the light around the forest changed colors dramatically. It went from its normal display, to twilight like a pulsation. The shadow beasts stopped immediately as if having no choice. They all screeched a high pitch scream, and their bodies convulsed violently as they fell to the ground in pain. The portal deatomized a few moments later. When the portal disappeared, the shadow beasts went right along with it. Once the creatures were gone, the forest became eerily quiet and still, as if the whole occurrence never happened. Even still, I was hesitant to put my bow down. I scanned the area again.

_Where the hell is Zant? _I thought angrily.

I still didn't break my stance when Zelda stood up and walked over to me. She placed a hand on my shoulder trying to ease my disposition.

"It's okay," she said to me, "they've gone Link."

I sighed as my heart was pounding incessantly. I finally lowered my bow and stood up. I ran a hand through my hair trying to understand what was going on.

_What exactly is the mechanism of the twilight? _I thought. _Why did I transform? More importantly why is Zant able to intercept both worlds without the same transformation process as I?_

I stood there contemplating this while Zelda stared at me thoughtfully. Her expression was almost mixed with a look of admiration.

_What's this? _I wondered.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Zelda nodded, and smiled a sad kind of smile. I knew it was because she was feeling a measure of guilt because of what happened, but I wasn't holding anything against her, not after that killer's threat.

_"...And alas, now your princess is in the mix..." _the assassin's word's echoed through my mind.

I looked away from her thinking about the gravity of the situation. I was in a terrible position, because I couldn't warn her of anything. If I did, who knew what would happen.

_I hate this lack of control, _I thought, _this only makes things more complicated._

"There was no way those creatures could stand against the fusion of courage and wisdom," she said to me all of a sudden. "I took a chance using the light arrows, and it worked."

I didn't reply immediately. I was grateful for her assistance and that she was there, but I was puzzled by her sudden presence, and given the clear and present danger regarding Zelda's situation, I didn't approve of her traveling alone.

"You understand that I'm considered a fugitive now, right?" I asked her, changing the subject from her philosophical rhetoric. "Meaning if your father finds me I'm going back to jail."

Zelda didn't answer that question she just looked away from me.

"I don't consider you a fugitive," she said to me softly.

I felt an uneasy feeling pit in my stomach. It wasn't regarding her answer, it was regarding the earlier incident. I was concerned and worried for her, but I also had to think of what she might have seen before she intervened. Whatever it was that I turned into when I crossed the twilight was not natural. I had to think it was some dangerous kind of mechanism used as a military offensive attack. I had never witnessed anything like that; light that could shift and change the structure of the atoms not native to its realm.

_I need to study that further to understand it, _I thought, in the mean time I glanced over at Zelda.

I tried to appear stoic, but I knew my unease was creeping in.

"Did you... see?" I asked her, hoping she didn't know what I meant.

However, Zelda nodded understanding exactly what I was conveying.

"You're speaking of your transformation in the twilight," she divulged.

I nodded confused.

"How?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

Zelda was silent for a moment and sighed. I could tell by the expression on her face she had an answer for me.

"The Twilight Realm shows the nature of one's true spirit," she revealed, "you have a feral, unrelenting spirit."

I looked at her surprised.

_So, I really am a dog? _I thought in disbelief.

"I turned into a dog Zelda!" I said upset. "I can hardly call that relentless."

Zelda shook her head.

"You weren't a dog," she corrected, "you were a wolf, a golden wolf with red eyes."

My eyes widened slightly.

"A wolf?" I repeated.

Zelda merely nodded in reply.

I raised my eyebrows, still feeling mixed up about all of this.

_I turn into a wolf in the twilight? _I thought. _Everything unfolding about this situation is becoming more and more surreal._

There was an assassin with an agenda to kill the princess. Zelda was to remain in the dark about the attempt on her life for her own safety. Daphnes was hiding who knows what. Saria's true identity has been revealed, but the circumstances surrounding her Hylian transformation are muddled. Zant has a vendetta against the royal family over the death of his father, _and _there was no telling what else was going to happen. When everything was comped together it was incredulous. However, in this present moment I needed to focus on the most pressing issue, Zelda's safety.

_Why is she out here by herself?_ I wondered.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked, changing the subject.

Zelda looked at me for a long time before answering.

"I didn't," she said honestly, "all I knew was there was a disturbance, and I had to do something about it."

I narrowed my eyes at her perplexed.

"Why are you in the woods by yourself?" I segued flummoxed.

Zelda stared into my eyes again.

"I was hunting royal elk," she replied.

I gave her an offhanded stare.

_Wait a minute, what?_ I wondered._ Hunting royal elk?_ I thought, not understanding the rationale.

"Without an escort?" I asked.

Zelda came up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist just then. She rested her head on my chest.

"I can do a lot of things without an escort," she replied to me with simple conjecture, then added, "it's the only thing that takes my mind off of you. I was so worried about you, especially with you being branded something you aren't."

What she was telling me wasn't making any sense, and if something didn't make sense, then there was some bit of truth missing.

_The times we're living in are way too dangerous to worry about hunting for emotional therapy, _I thought, finding her rationale slightly suspect and was about to call her out on it.

"Zelda-" I started, but she interrupted me.

"How did you get out of the prison?" she asked.

I was caught off guard with the inquiry.

_I can't talk about that, _I thought.

"Zelda," I segued, not answering her question, and taking her arms from around my waist so I could look into her face, "I don't want you going anywhere without a escort," I said, having to change my sequence of dialogue, knowing she might deflect.

She looked at me surprised just then.

"Why?" she asked.

_I can't tell you, _I thought.

"Please," I said to her, "just trust me."

Out of nowhere, her eyes filled with tears when I said that. I think I made her hopeful again. She wrapped her arms back around me and wept softly into my tunic. I hated to see her like this. She was such a strong willed woman, and I knew her vulnerability was only because she cared, so I knew her hurt was deep. Zelda was generally a very no nonsense, but gentle woman. She didn't like showing weakness for the sake of her people. However, I knew she wasn't weak. She was one of the strongest women I knew. She was self sacrificing, and wanted what was best for her people. I knew her behavior recently, and the falling out with her father, had to do more with my being non attentive to her and her needs. Now, with a killer after her, it made me think about much I took her for granted.

_She doesn't deserve this, _I thought, _she doesn't deserve to be the target of something she has nothing to do with._

"I do trust you Link," she whispered.

Seeing her like that made me regret the way I spoke to her the other night.

"I'm sorry I was so cold to you the other night in the prison," I said to her abruptly, "you were just trying to comfort me."

Zelda wiped her eyes.

"You don't have to apologize," she said to me, "I understood why you were angry."

We were silent for a minute.

"I want you to go back to the castle and report what you saw to your father," I said to her, breaking the quiet, "tell him everything, except that you came in contact with me."

Zelda stared into my eyes and nodded.

"What are you going to do?" she asked me.

"I have to lay low for awhile," I replied, "I'm a fugitive. The guard has doubled in their search for me. I have no choice."

It was almost as if Zelda cringed every time the word 'fugitive' came out of my mouth.

"You're no fugitive," she said to me again, and added, "where will you go?"

I stared into her eyes for a moment.

_There's not a chance in hell I can tell her where I'm staying, _I thought.

"I'm resourceful," I replied to her honestly, "I know this country backwards."

_Well... almost backwards,_ I thought, having to backtrack that premise, considering my lack of knowledge about Ordon.

Zelda bit her lower lip at my words and looked up to me. She reached up and kissed me. I let her, I knew it was comforting to her. When she pulled away, she stared into my face for a long time. It was almost as if she was burning my face in her memory.

"I-I still haven't called off the wedding," she said all of a sudden, trying to be jovial.

I grinned at her, and caressed her cheek softly.

"No?" I inquired.

She swallowed hard and involuntarily tears refilled her eyes.

"No," she replied.

I sighed, wishing I knew what to tell her about that.

"If that... gives you comfort then don't cancel it," I said to her, trying to be as careful as possible.

I didn't want to hurt her, she was still a good person, but I wasn't sure we were going to have a future together any longer. The whirlwind of the last week put a real strain on our relationship. I was thinking about what Saria had said to me about not letting eight years go. She was right. Eight years was a great deal of time invested into someone, but I always had my doubts regarding Zelda's and my relationship. We were so different on so many levels, that I didn't see how we could ever work. However, I knew part of my new premise was because I knew the truth about Saria. Maybe I was wrong in that, but I never got over Sar. That Kokiri, who was now a Hylian, was special, and she held a large place in my heart. I knew it was premature to think like this, especially when I didn't know how Saria was going to reciprocate. However, there was no denying I felt something real for her.

_Don't jump the arrow Link, _I told myself, _Sar just got reacquainted with you._

Even still, I couldn't forget about the woman in front of me. Zelda had been a rock and shield for me for a long time. I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. I wasn't going to let a killer's threat deter me from protecting Hyrule's greatest treasure, and a woman very dear to me. She smiled at me through her tears and reached up to caress my cheek.

"Don't worry, I won't," she replied finally.

I held her tight after her saying that, and realized she shouldn't be out in the open any longer. It was simply too dangerous.

"I need for you to get back to the castle immediately," I directed seriously, "I worry about you too much already."

Zelda's smile widened at my words, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Okay," she replied, then pecked me on my nose.

Zelda let me go, and stared at me as she walked backwards towards the entrance of the forest. She kept her gaze fixed on me as she took several hesitant steps back. She finally turned around and ran out of the forest. I sighed when I watched her leave, but then felt an abrupt sense of alarm.

_Wait a minute, _I thought.

"The Deku Tree!" I exclaimed under my breath and headed back to the alcove.

When I returned to the great tree's presence the Deku Tree immediately sensed me.

"You have thwarted the threat upon me and my predecessor's children," the Deku Tree said to me.

"I didn't do it on my own," I replied honestly, "the princess helped me. No, she saved my life and Hyrule."

The Deku Tree fell silent for a moment.

"The princess loves you a great deal," the Deku Tree said to me. "The princess has shared her concerns and feelings for you and Hyrule."

I looked at the tree puzzled.

"The princess came to talk to you?" I asked.

The Deku tree fell silent again.

I sensed it felt it told me too much.

"Deku Tree?" I pressed, wanting to know the truth.

"The princess has shared a few minor concerns with me," the Deku Tree said carefully, "she is very busy with her task of protecting Hyrule."

_Minor things huh? _I thought with cynicism.

"Right," I replied, deciding to let the matter go. I didn't think the Deku Tree wanted to share anymore secrets with me anyway. "Well I must go, there is no telling when the royal guard will come looking for me."

The tree shook its leaves.

"I understand great hero," the Deku Tree replied, "you have a heavy burden on thy shoulders. You will make the right decision in the end, for life is not always about what you want, but what is required of thee. Farewell Hero of Legend. We shall speak again at the crossroads of life."

"Wait a minute, what?" I demanded, not understanding what it meant. "Deku Tree?"

A green pulsar of energy iridized across the sky.

"Wait!" I called out.

It was no use the Deku Tree was gone.

~SSS~

I got back to Lake Hylia at dusk. I went inside the house carefully. I had no idea if the old man had returned or not. When I saw no one was there I let out a sigh of relief, but then felt a little bit of apprehension.

_Where's Saria?_ I thought.

I went upstairs to her room and saw no one there. I hurried back downstairs to check the kitchen again. No one was there. I quickly went back outside and scanned the coastal region. Nothing. No one was there. I began to dread the worst.

_Had the guards came by and taken her? _I thought, feeling my heart accelerate.

I power walked down to the shore, and started down the shoreline, thinking perhaps she was at the fisherman's wharf. I was halfway to the entrance, when all of a sudden the surface of Lake Hylia broke. I turned to see what it was, and Saria splashed to the surface and whipped her hair in an arc behind her head. She swam to the coastline with a bottle in her hand containing a fish. When she saw me she smiled and waved.

_Thank Farore, _I thought with a sigh of relief, smiling and waving back at her.

My heart went back to its normal rhythm when I saw she was okay, at least momentarily. It sped up again when I saw her get out the water in a two piece... a teeny, tiny, green two piece. Her curvaceous, sunkissed, slender body glistened with water in the light of the setting sun. She looked incredibly beautiful, and the innocent smile on her face made her all the more alluring.

_This has got to be payback for some unknown evil I've done, _I thought sarcastically_._

Saria quickly saw I was about to have a heart attack at the sight of her, and paused coming towards me to put on a robe she had resting next to the old scarecrow by the pumpkin patch before she approached. She rung out her hair, then came to greet me.

"Hey stranger," she said to me, and pointed to the jar in her hand, "I caught a fish."

I nodded.

"I see," I replied.

"I'm going to make Hylian bass hot pot tonight," she said to me with a huge smile.

Her smile was infectious, it made me smile back at her.

"I haven't had a hot pot since I lived in the forest," I replied.

Saria looked at me thoughtfully.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," I replied.

Saria grinned and looked down.

"Your Saria used to make that for you, didn't she?" she asked me.

I liked her use of that expression.

_My Saria, _I thought with a grin, then felt it fade slowly.

I looked at her seriously for a moment. My expression perplexed her. She took a step back and stroked a hand over her damp hair.

"What?" she asked nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I stared into her eyes and shook my head.

"Nothing," I replied.

_You_ are_ my Saria, _I thought, still not being able to believe it, _you're really back in my life._

"She didn't make you hot pot?" Saria asked, thinking my facial expression had something to do with that.

I grinned at her inquiry.

"Yes," I replied, "she did."

Saria continued to look at me puzzled.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked me. "You're acting strange."

I smirked at her question and shook my head.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," I replied.

I didn't want to tell her yet. I wanted this whole mess to be cleared up with the assassin and the threat to the princess. I had to make sure everything was the way it should be, before I thought about anything that was going to affect me. Saria took what I said and interpreted it as something else; she frowned a little bit.

"Are you sure there's nothing the matter?" she asked me.

"No, nothing," I said quickly shaking the expression off my face, "nothing is wrong."

_Well, that's not true, _I thought.

"Did the Deku Tree tell you something upsetting?" she asked me.

I raised my eyebrows at her question.

_The Deku Tree told me a lot, _I thought, _but there is plenty I need to figure out on my own._

"Let's talk about that later," I replied.

Saria looked at me odd just then.

"Why?" she asked.

_Why? _I thought. _Because it's too much to absorb at once._

"Because I'm tired right now," I replied simply.

I guess I had a serious glint in my voice, because she completely dropped the matter.

"Okay," she replied, trying to be casual.

She then walked past me and headed for the house.

"I'm going to get this fish cleaned and scaled," Saria said to me.

I nodded.

"Okay," I replied.

I smiled at her again, and suddenly started thinking about all the things I wanted. I didn't know why it came up suddenly, it just did. Maybe it was because I hadn't thought about something for myself in awhile. I wanted Hyrule to be protected from her enemies. I would always fight for Hyrule no matter what my station was in life. I wanted Zelda to be happy. I knew that if Hyrule was protected, then the princess would be happy.

_The pulse of Zelda's heart is Hyrule, _I thought, _as long as _it _is okay she will be okay. __Lastly, I want happiness for myself. My thought of a simple life was starting to return, and if the first two problems stay solved I could have it. I could really have it, and perhaps... someone else would like to share that simple life with me too, _I thought.

I watched as Saria went into the house.

_Maybe a simple peasant girl with emerald green hair, _I thought.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. <strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Inspirations: Aurora and Prince Philip from _Sleeping Beauty, _(the scene in the forest where they are dancing); "My Curse" by KillSwtich Engage. I absolutely love this song. I think the guitar rift in the beginning and end is the most beautiful sound in the universe. I highly recommend listening to it while reading the latter half of this chapter. Yes, I am that corny.**

**Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012 ADDENDUM 1/26/2013 The beginning scene was added to show the growth of Link and Saria's friendship. This chapter was originally 4500 words, but with the additional scene, it is now 12,600 + words. Thanks, enjoy. ~ZR~. **

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

Three Weeks Later

The next three weeks became a haze of habit. I got up, went to investigate, came home, and then discussed my day with Saria. I wasn't finding out anything new, and the leads I had regarding the assassin's whereabouts were dry. Even still, I remained focused because the coronation was only a week away. I couldn't afford to get sidetracked with insignificant 'minusha.' However, ambiguity had a way of making itself manifest in my always prudent mind. I was glad to have a pretty secure place to hideout, but one thing was bothering me. It had been three weeks since I stayed at the laboratory, and I saw no sign of the old scientist. I knew Saria told me he had gone away on business, but his prolonged absence was starting to worry me. I wasn't suggesting the scientist couldn't go on vacation, it just seemed out of the ordinary for him.

_I'll speak to Saria about it if it becomes a greater concern, _I thought.

Besides that oddity, Saria tended to the house and went about her business as if everything were normal, and it did feel normal for the most part. I made it a point to stay out of her way, so I could be as small of an interference as possible. She never saw me as an interference, but I didn't want to take anything for granted. I felt comfortable with Saria, and when I slipped and said something silly or presumptuous, she didn't look at me like I was crazy, or make me feel inferior because I wasn't well bred. Saria would just laugh it off, or tell me 'don't worry so much,' and I wouldn't. It was nice to be around someone who was happy with things being simple and uncomplicated. Saria made it easy for me to be me, and I was grateful to her for that.

_It feels just like when we were growing up in the forest, _I thought.

I found that Saria was methodical in her daily routine. She got up in the morning, made breakfast to have it ready for me, then went for a swim in Lake Hylia to fish or exercise. I would sometimes have my Hylian cup of tea in hand and watch her from the window as she swam. The intensity of her swims almost seemed like an athlete, or a warrior conditioning for a competition. It puzzled me from time to time why she felt she needed to exert so much energy. However, it wasn't a matter I delved too deeply in, I respected the fact she liked to stay in shape, and that she enjoyed swimming so much. I was almost at times tempted to join her, but I wasn't sure how she would take it.

_I better leave that time to herself, _I thought, _she may want to be alone to think. We all have our times where we just want to be alone._

Even still, I thought it was an admirable quality. Saria had a lot of qualities I admired actually: she was thrifty, she was studious, she knew how to make small things stretch, and she wasn't a complainer. She seemed to take everything in stride, even when the guards came and did their routine search looking for me. Saria was great about diverting the guards attention without arousing suspicion. She would offer the men something to eat, and see if their horse's needed watering while they searched the residence. However, even though she was extending such a courteous olive branch, the men always harassed her and gave her a hard time because of who she was. They would call her out of her name, and threaten her, but Saria never seemed to let it bother her. I hated having to sit in hiding and listen to that while they did that to her. Saria was putting herself at great risk for me, and when they'd leave, I'd constantly apologize and tell her I would make it up to her. She just smiled, and told me not to worry about it. However, that wasn't the case, I was worried about it. Their harassment could become a serious problem.

_If they ever cross the line, _I thought, _I don't care if I do go back to jail, I won't let them hurt her. _

Life at the laboratory wasn't always about me being in hiding, however. Saria and I were able to enjoy the afternoons together. That was my favorite part of the day to be quite honest. Dinner would be ready, we would both be relaxed, and we would talk about our day. Our conversations were pretty lighthearted and casual, focusing mainly on superficialities of the day. However, sometimes our discussions would go into areas where I knew we couldn't share anything with each other. She couldn't discuss her past, and I couldn't discuss the investigation. If she asked for specifics regarding my work, my replies would be vague, and I wouldn't elaborate on anything. Saria would just look at me and nod, I knew she was disappointed that I couldn't share more, but she understood. However, I had to admit, one topic I was tempted to divulge to her was who she really was. I knew it was something she was yearning to know. However, I stopped myself from doing so, realizing things would only get more complicated if I disclosed the matter prematurely.

_I promise I will do it soon, _I thought.

Even though things were going good for the most part, our housing situation wasn't without its awkward moments. There were times when I caught Saria staring at me, and when I asked her what was on her mind, she'd just blush and say 'nothing.' I had a feeling I knew what that 'nothing' was, because if it was the same 'nothing,' I felt the same exact way. We'd been tiptoeing around the issue of our attraction towards each other ever since that night in my bedroom. I wasn't going to lie, it was hard being near her and not letting my _true_ feelings for her show, especially with us being alone most of the time. However, we never acted erroneously, we were we always cognizant of the giant lizalfos in the room, and Saria was quick to remind me of my recent relationship with the princess, and tell me how 'great' Zelda was for me. I knew Saria was still trying to protect herself, but I really wanted to have an unguarded conversation with her. It seemed ever since that misunderstanding between us, there was a change in her behavior. She was friendly, but not open the way I wanted her to be. I understood why, but I wanted us to be able to talk without the filter, and it was my hope to make that happen this evening.

_I'll segue into it casually, _I thought, _that way she won't be so apt to change the discussion._

At present, I was walking down the shoreline back to the house. I just finished searching a cave that led to a secret passageway to the castle from the lake. It was a significant find, considering I could use it to travel to the square the day of the coronation. The guard would be pretty substantial that day, so I needed as many shortcuts as possible. I had no straight laced method of operation, or M.O., for this assassin. Most of the madmen I've dealt with were upfront about their madness, Daphnes included. This killer was a totally different breed of villain. He was unorthodox and unconventional, almost surreal-like in his approach to his... 'work.'

_There's no telling when, or how this killer's going to strike, _I thought, _I have to be ready. I'll check those schematics tomorrow._

I continued down the shoreline, but stopped momentarily when I saw a black Gerudo stallion galloping to and fro across the grassy pastures. My eyes widened in surprise. It was the same horse Saria rode when we went to visit Lon Lon Ranch. Stating that I was surprised to see the animal was an understatement.

_When in the world did she buy that, and when did she go to Lon Lon Ranch? _I wondered, puzzled by the purchase. _Having that animal just running around__ may bring undo attention to the guards checking the area._

I looked to the stallion, then back to the house, and continued on my way. Saria was in the house scaling another Hylian bass for hotpot. The hotpot she made for me the first time was so delicious, that I requested it six times in the last two weeks. I felt a little spoiled with her catering to me the way she was, but I loved her cooking. I decided I was going to surprise her for being so accommodating. I picked a few flowers growing by the shore bed and organized them in an arrangement. It wasn't the prettiest bouquet, but it was manageable.

_I hope she likes it, _I thought with a grin.

I went inside the laboratory and unhooded myself. Saria was in the kitchen cutting up some carrots and putting them in a ceramic casserole dish already filled with hot fish broth, leeks, and onions. The fish was cleaned and scaled, waiting to be submerged in the liquid. I removed my cloak and ran a hand through my hair to make sure I looked presentable. Afterwards, I walked into the kitchen, trying to hide the bouquet behind my back. Saria turned when she heard me enter and smiled.

"You're just in time," she said, wiping her hands on her apron, "dinner is almost ready."

I took a whiff of the air.

"It smells incredible," I complimented, "but since this is your sixth time making it, I'm not surprised."

She chuckled at me.

"I'm surprised you're not tired of it yet," she said.

I shook my head.

"I don't think I could get tired of your hot pot," I said honestly.

Saria wiped her hands again.

"You _do _have a pretty good appetite for it," she said, "your Saria must've been a mini goddess in the kitchen."

I looked into her eyes just then.

_You were, _I thought with a grin, and looked beyond her out the window.

"Where'd the horse come from?" I segued.

Saria turned and looked out the window at the stallion.

"Oh," she said, "I bought him today. I loved him so much I couldn't pass it up."

I raised an eyebrow at that.

_With what money? _I wondered.

"That must've been expensive," I said.

She nodded, but then shrugged.

"He was five thousand rupees," she said, "it wasn't too bad."

My eyes widened slightly.

"Five thousand rupees?" I repeated.

Saria grinned at my reaction.

"I told you my coronation contract was huge," she divulged, "I was paid seventy thousand rupees to make the princess's dress. Speaking of which, I start on that tomorrow. I already did several fittings over the past few weeks. I just need to do the final fitting and start sewing the dress."

_Whoa, _I thought, _I guess Zelda was really serious about her not seeing me anymore. _

Saria's eyes widened and she clasped her hands together.

"Hey, I want to show you something," she said all of a sudden, grabbing my arm and leading me back out the door.

I smirked at the excitement in her voice. I kept the flowers hidden behind my back.

"What's that?" I asked when we out on the grass.

Saria let my hand go, turned around, and gesticulated both hands up to stop me.

"Just watch," she said, then turned back around.

_What's this? _I thought with a grin.

She put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. After doing so, the stallion switched directions and started trotting in a circle. It was impressive.

"Nice," I said, raising my eyebrows.

Saria fanned that off.

"You haven't seen anything yet," she stated, then pulled out her ocarina she had hidden in the pocket of her apron.

_How'd she hide that? _I wondered, but then decided not to worry about it. _Women are certainly resourceful._

She started playing, of all things, Saria's Song. I looked at her mildly stunned, but watched as the horse responded to it and came to her. Saria laughed and patted the stallion's snout when she ended the cadence. I couldn't believe it. She was able to communicate her song to the horse much the same way I communicated Epona's Song when I called Epona. It was unbelievable, and given that she was able to teach the song to her horse in such a short period of time was remarkable.

_Malon is one hell of a horse domesticator,_ I thought in admiration.

Saria turned and looked at me enthusiastically.

"Isn't that amazing?" she inquired. "When Malon told me I could teach my horse a song to have it come to me, I was beyond shocked."

I smiled at her and nodded. I went up and patted the stallion myself. I did like the fact that she was able to teach the horse her melody, however, I was more interested in how _she _remembered the cadence.

"It is amazing," I complimented, stroking the horse's mane, then added, "where'd you learn that song?"

Saria stopped stroking the horse for a moment and looked down. A puzzled expression came across her face and she shrugged.

"I don't know really," she said honest, "it kind of just came to me, much like when we talked about it before."

I was pleased with hearing that. I knew it meant that she was getting some more of her memories back.

"Do you remember anything else?" I asked.

She shook her head and didn't answer right away.

"No," she replied and sighed, "unfortunately not."

I grinned at her and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," I said, "you're getting better and better each day, before you know it, you'll know who you really are."

Saria seemed encouraged by that. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Thanks," she replied, "that means a lot."

I stared into her eyes.

"You're welcome," I said, dropping my voice a little.

It was my hope she'd read into it, but true to form, she ignored my inflection.

"Let's go back inside," she said, "I'll bet you're starving."

I stared at her for a moment and sighed. I nodded my reply, and she took off before I had a chance to protest. I watched after her and soon followed, not having the energy to debate right now. When we were back in the house, Saria was drying her hands on her apron from washing them in the basin in the kitchen. It was then she finally took notice of my dislodged arm behind my back.

"What have you got there?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You look like you're hiding something."

I grinned at her inquiry.

_Perfect timing, _I thought.

I took the bouquet from behind my back and presented it to her. Saria's eyes widened when she saw the flowers, and she looked from them to my face in surprise. She took a step back and bit her lower lip in slight nervousness.

"What's... this?" she asked carefully.

I shrugged and smiled at her question.

"I know it isn't much," I said, "but it's a small token of my appreciation. Once this whole fugitive thing subsides, I'll get you a proper gift."

Saria pursed her lips together, and stroked her hand anxiously over her bangs.

"That was very thoughtful of you," she said, coming up to me and taking the flowers, "thank you, they're beautiful."

I watched as she put the bouquet in a vase. I went and washed my hands and afterwards sat down at the table where my place was set.

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing," I said, "you've been so gracious to me, it's the least I could do."

Saria arranged the flowers in the vase, and placed them on the table in front of me. She smiled at me and playfully nudged my shoulder.

"I love them," she said, "you'll have to remember to do this for the princess when things get back to normal."

I looked up at her when she said that and took in a deep sigh. She was avoiding my eyes, and hurried back over to the counter where she was cooking. I knew why she doing things like that, but honestly I was getting tired of it. Saria didn't have to mention Zelda in every conversation we had. I was aware of my relationship with the princess. I didn't need pointers on how to deal with her. It was getting to the point where I was becoming aggravated with her general segues, and her unwillingness to discuss the relationship between _her_ and _me_.

_I really need to get Saria to understand that, _I thought.

Even still, I didn't say anything about what she said. I figured I'd let it slide, and if it became a continual issue, then I'd address it.

_It's just a defense mechanism Link, _I thought, _she just wants to protect her heart._

Saria came back over to the table and set the hot ceramic casserole down. By now, the fish and vegetables were steeped enough that they were cooked. It smelled and looked delicious. I fanned the vapors in my direction.

_My goddess, this little lady can cook, _I thought.

"They don't make food like this at the castle," I divulged, serving myself an huge helping of fish and vegetables.

Saria laughed when she saw my portion, and encouraged me to get more.

"I'm glad you like it," she said, sitting down and placing a napkin in her lap, "I love cooking, so eat as much as you want."

_I know you do, _I thought, remembering when we were children in the forest.

"Don't worry," I assured, "I will."

Saria waited for me to finish getting my portion, which was pretty much a majority of the pan, before she served herself. We ate pretty much in silence before I decided to break it with some casual conversation.

"You know," I started, "I never asked you if you met any interesting people in Hyrule besides me."

She grinned at how I worded that.

"Besides you, huh?" she remarked with a raised brow.

I smiled at her and wiped my mouth.

"I know I'm pretty hard to beat, being the hero and everything," I joked, "but were you able to expand your capacities? Placate a new horizon?"

Saria chuckled at my reply and shook her head.

"It seems like our doting hero is eating less humble pie these days," she said, "Mr. Killjoy is taking a back saddle to the real Link."

I like how she put that and grinned.

_I do feel like more myself these days, _I thought.

"I would eat more, if you baked one," I replied.

Saria laughed at that.

"Oh wow Link," she said.

I wiped my mouth again and wanted to continue the good vibes.

"Seriously, I love pie," I started, "my favorite is-"

"-Kokiri apple pie," we said in unison suddenly.

I looked at her surprised, and she blushed and avoided my eyes for a moment. There was a brief silence between us.

"How did you know?" I asked finally.

She shrugged and tried to fan it off.

"Just a guess," she said, "you _are_ from Kokiri Forest," she said.

I stared at her for a moment.

_So are you, _I thought.

"Your guesses have been spot on today," I said.

Saria stroked her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah..." she said, not really answering to what I said.

There was another brief silence between us, but I broke it.

"So... any scary ex-boyfriends I need to be aware of?" I asked, changing the subject.

Saria gave me an obvious stare and chuckled.

"Why?" she joked. "You want to beat them up like a good big brother?"

I raised an eyebrow at that.

_Big brother? _I thought, giving her a slight offhanded look.

"I hardly think you can call me that," I said, "otherwise... we've done some rather strange things."

She blushed again and cleared her throat.

"Yes, well..." she replied, choosing to ignore my statement and addressed my previous inquiry, "no, I've got no men chasing me, and the ones that did are all in Ordon."

I could only imagine how many men were possibly enamored with her. I wouldn't be surprised if she left several broken hearts in her wake. I grinned at her reply and sat back in my chair.

"I'm sure they're there Saria," I said, "they're probably too scared, or too stupid to approach you."

Saria laughed softly at my reply and shrugged.

"If it happens, it happens," she said simply, "if it doesn't, it doesn't. I don't spend too much time worrying about things I can't control."

I raised my eyebrows at her answer and nodded.

"That's a sensible way of looking at things," I replied.

Saria stroked her hair over to one shoulder, and a puzzled look came across her face just then.

"Speaking of scary, there is someone I'd like to ask you about," she divulged.

I nodded, showing she had my attention.

"Who's that?" I asked.

Saria sighed, and a troubled expression came across her face.

"What is the deal with the happy mask salesman?" she asked. "He is so strange."

I grinned when she revealed who it was and shook my head.

_He scares me too Sar, _I thought.

"I've been trying to figure that out for years," I said, "he's... interesting to say the least. Why? What did he say to you?"

Saria bit her lower lip and raised her eyebrows.

"I went to market in his shop a few months ago, and he gave me the strangest feeling," she said, "he showed me all these odd looking masks and asked me if I wanted to work for him."

I snickered.

"He actually hustled me into doing that for him," I said, "I made some good money off it, but you have to be careful. If you don't get him his full amount due he'll do something really unpleasant."

Saria shuddered slightly.

"You mean open his eyes?" she inquired. "Sweet Farore, when he opened his eyes he freaked me out!"

I laughed when she said that.

"Yeah," I said, shaking my head, "he is a creepy gentleman. I would say he's harmless, but almost having a moon crashing into the planet doesn't qualify him for that."

She looked at me puzzled.

"The moon what?" she asked, needing to hear that again.

I laughed again.

"Nothing," I said, "the good thing is, I stopped him before anything crazy happened."

Saria sat back in her seat and shook her head.

"I'm glad it wasn't just me," she said, then gave me a wayward look and asked, "did he ever show you a mask of a little girl?"

I contemplated what she said for a moment, and couldn't recall ever seeing such a mask.

"No," I said, "why?"

She avoided my eyes and pursed her lips together.

"Never mind," she said,"it's nothing, I think I already understand why he showed it to me anyway."

I found that last spout of dialogue from her strange.

"I'm sorry?" I asked.

Saria shook her head and forced a smile.

"It's nothing," she said.

_Did he say something upsetting to her? _I wondered.

I studied her expression for a moment, and decided to leave the matter alone. If she wanted to talk about the matter she would.

_It's probably nothing, _I thought.

We fell silent for a moment, and Saria got up to clear the table. She picked up the casserole dish and took it to the basin in the kitchen. I got up and picked up both our plates and placed them on the counter next to the basin. Saria was washing the pan, and I stood near her, wanting to help her if I could. There was really nothing I could do, it was one pan, and she knew how to clean it.

_Why do I feel so... I don't know... nervous all of a sudden? _I wondered.

I stroked a hand through my hair.

"Uh..." I trailed, "can I help you with anything?"

Saria looked at me from her periphery.

"I'm fine," she said, "thanks for offering though."

I nodded, but didn't budge from my spot. Saria returned her focus on what she was doing. I wanted to address the apparent tension in the room between us, but wasn't sure how I should approach it. I looked at the cabinets with a sudden idea.

"Maybe I can put the dry dishes away," I suggested.

Saria shrugged her shoulders and chuckled at that.

"It's okay Link," she said, "I already did."

I felt a little silly when I looked at the counter and saw that it was free of clean dishes.

"Right..." I replied, "well then, maybe I can sweep."

Saria looked over at me shaking her head.

"You are such a worry wart," she joked, "you've been out all day, I can take care of the house cleaning. Go relax."

I raised my eyebrows and sighed at her reasoning.

"I suppose," I said, and still didn't sit down.

Saria grinned at me.

"I'll bet you were a restless little boy, weren't you?" she inquired. "That's just the adventurer in you."

I smirked at her when she said that.

_I was an adventurous little boy Saria, _I thought, _and I used to share some of those crazy adventures with you in the Sacred Forest Meadow. _

"Yes," I stated, "you're right."

She laughed lightly, and turned back around to finish cleaning. I stared at her, wanting to tell her about some of those adventures she and I _both _used to have, but then another idea crossed my mind.

_Let me show you how adventurous I can still be Sar, _I thought, and I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist.

The action completely caught Saria off guard. She was slightly startled by the invasion of personal space and turned her head to look at me and inquire of it.

"Hey..." she said, trying to be playful, but I could tell she was slightly uneasy, "what gives?"

_What gives...?_ I repeated in my head._ That's a good question, and I guess I could just answer it, _I thought, and stared at her hair, _or I could go with my first thought and just be presumptuous... _

I let go of her waist and stroked my hands down her forearms until they covered her hands in the soiled water. I felt her stiffen at my touch.

"What in the-?" she said caught off guard again.

There was a brief silence between us.

"Link..." she trailed, breaking the silence, "what are you...?"

I stroked my cheek against her hair.

"I think you know what gives," I whispered honestly, "we need to talk."

She was quiet for a moment.

"About?" she asked.

_That's a good question, _I thought.

"What we've been avoiding for weeks," I said.

Saria got quiet again.

"I don't want to tiptoe around the issue anymore Sar," I went on, "I think we both need to be honest with each other and just say what we feel."

Saria swallowed hard and surprisingly... nodded. I wasn't expecting that.

_Are we finally making progress? _I wondered.

"I-I agree," she said, and let of my hands in the dirty water to turn around and face me.

I was only inches from her face, and I stared at her mouth. I took my hands out of the basin and rested them on both sides of her on the counter so she wouldn't escape.

"You agree?" I repeated, and stared in her eyes.

I saw her throat tighten, and she looked to the ground to avoid my eyes. She nodded.

"I think I should have said this to you a while ago," she said, not looking at me.

I raised my eyebrows surprised.

_Really? _I thought.

I couldn't believe it.

"And... what's that?" I asked.

She finally looked into my eyes.

"You... you owe me an ocarina session," she whispered.

I looked at her, caught unawares by the statement.

"What?" I asked.

Her face broke into a smile just then.

"You owe me a session with the ocarina," she repeated, then slipped past my barrier by ducking underneath my arm and slipping from my grasp.

I turned and looked at her bewildered and annoyed.

"Saria," I said, "you know that isn't-"

"I'll be right back!" she interrupted, and hurried up the stairs, not allowing me to finish.

I took in an irritated breath. I hated when Saria did things like this. All it did was make things more awkward between us.

_Why does she insist that everything is okay the way it is? _I demanded of myself. _She knows there's something more than friendship growing between us._

A few moments later, Saria came back downstairs with my brown ocarina in hand. She was actually able to change in that short period of time as well. She was dressed in a green dress with a brown sash. It reminded me of the Kokiri clothes she used to wear when I was a child. She even had her head band on so her bangs were out of her face. She looked beautiful, but then again I always thought she looked beautiful.

Saria tossed me the ocarina. I caught it with one hand.

"I sang for you," she reasoned, putting her hands on her hips, "now, I want you to play for me!"

Her voice was filled with enthusiasm. Even though I was slightly upset she changed the subject the way she did, that smile, and those eyes softened my disgruntlement quick.

_I don't think I could ever stay mad at her, _I thought.

"Fair enough," I agreed, "but I have one stipulation, if I play, you have to dance."

Saria raised a brow and grinned.

"You want me to dance?" she repeated.

I raised a brow.

"If you don't, then I won't play," I stated.

Saria gripped her hips and scoffed playfully.

"Alright," she said, "you've got yourself a deal."

I smiled at her, but then sighed and sat down on one of the chairs at the table. Saria was in the center of the kitchen where the area was clear, waiting for me to begin. I put my hand up to cue her and she nodded, stating she understood its purpose. I did a gesticulated countdown to zero, and started to play. I started with a forest jig, then I segued into Saria's Song. She smiled at the cadence and began turning and pirouetting across the room. She was actually pretty good. I couldn't tell if she was serious or just being silly, but her footwork was wonderful. She had incredible calf strength as she turned on her tiptoes, and at the end she even did a graceful back flip. I was impressed and smiled at her when she bowed.

_And she calls herself 'just a peasant girl,' _I thought.

Saria was still in her curtsied position when I got up to stand in front of her. I applauded her with a clap and she smiled when she stood up.

"Did you like it?" she asked. "I know it was a little silly, but it was fun."

I stared into her eyes, and looked down at my ocarina for a moment.

"I didn't think you were silly at all," I said, "one of things I love about you is that you aren't afraid to be yourself."

Saria blushed at my words and her eyes inadvertently widened. She was quiet for a moment.

"Love about me...?" she inquired with a trail.

I raised my eyebrows and shrugged, not even realizing I said it. I didn't reply to that right away.

"Yes Sar, _love _about you," I repeated.

She looked to the ground and avoided my eyes again.

"Link..." she trailed, not finishing.

I stared at her downcasted eyes and took her hand in mine, but she didn't let me sustain the grip, she pulled back.

"Please don't," she said, and I knew she meant more.

I chose to ignore it, wanting to be honest with her.

_Not this time Saria, _I thought.

"Please don't what?" I asked. "Don't care about you? What do you want me to say?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. She didn't reply. I took a step towards her, deciding to go on anyway.

"There's something about you Sar," I said, and shook my head for no particular reason. "There's something about you that-"

She finally met my eyes.

"Stop it," she interrupted suddenly.

I looked at her mildly stunned.

_What? _I Thought.

"Saria-" I tried.

"I don't want to discuss this," she interrupted again.

I was really starting to get pissed off with the run around on this. I cared about her, and she knew that. Why she felt not saying so was going to change that was beyond me.

_You obviously don't know me very well Sar, _I thought, _that is no longer a viable option for us._

"Maybe it's time we started discussing it!" I said with a slightly raised voice. "I'm tired of pretending Sar!"

She groaned and tried to walk past me to avoid the discussion, but I stepped in her way.

"Link-" she started.

"Where are you going?" I demanded.

She looked into my eyes defiantly.

"Upstairs," she replied, "this is a discussion I don't care to have."

I narrowed my eyes at her when she said that. I took a step towards her and she instantly backed away.

"Why?" I asked.

She didn't answer right away.

"Because," was all she said.

I shook my head at that.

"Because what?" I snapped.

She gave me a wayward look.

"Because... because..." she trailed, trying to find a reason, "because we can't!"

That answer wasn't good enough, not any longer.

"I-" I tried, but she tried to slip past me again, it was then I took hold of her shoulders, "what the hell is going on with you?" I demanded.

She pushed my hands away.

"I told you!" she shot back. "I _don't _want to talk about-"

I swallowed hard.

"Not this time!" I interrupted with resolve, and took hold of her shoulders again. "You're not walking away and avoiding this _this_ time!"

She tried to free herself from my grip, but she was unable to. She looked up at me astonished.

"Let go of me!" she demanded. "Stop acting like this! This isn't like you Link!"

I stared into her eyes, and for some reason I felt a wave of boldness overcome me. It was impulsive, and I pulled her to me and pressed my mouth onto hers. She was shocked and tried to resist at first. She tried getting away from me by pushing off my chest and wriggling herself free. She probably would've been successful, however, after awhile she calmed down and stopped fighting me. She was hesitant with her affections at first, but a moment later she started kissing me back. I held her tight and gradually made her mouth open to mine. She moaned softly when I slipped my tongue inside. Saria trembled a little, but her hold on me suddenly tightened as her arms went around my neck. She kissed me deeper and harder as her _true _feelings for me began to show. She pulled back and stared into my eyes.

"I've been wanting to do this for so long," she whispered.

I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

"I know," I whispered back.

I kissed her again. The kiss was turning more and more sexual by the minute, and I found myself losing control. I backed her up against a nearby wall and lifted her in my arms when our breaths became in synch. Saria was running her fingers through my hair, and she was whimpering from my touch. I slid my mouth down her neck and that's when I knew things were starting to spiral in a direction of carnality. I was starting to give into my sexual impulses. I knew if one of us didn't stop soon, we would end up making love, possibly right there in the kitchen. I knew it wasn't going to be me, fortunately Saria had enough will power to pull away and stop herself.

"Link wait," she said, finally coming back to her senses.

I didn't want to wait. I was completely enamored with her and I wanted to show her. I pulled back and stared into her eyes.

"Saria-" I whispered.

"We're about to make a big mistake," she interrupted quietly.

I stared into her eyes, not wanting to hear that, because I didn't see this as a mistake. However, I knew she was right.

"Sar-" I tried again.

"Please Link!" she interrupted again. "You don't want to do this with me."

I was irritated with her saying that.

"Yes, I do," I whispered.

She shook her head.

"No," she said, "you don't."

"Saria-" I tried.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

I stared into her eyes for a moment and didn't say anything. Instead, I put her down and took a step back. As soon as she was free, she slipped by me and ran upstairs. I pursed my lips together in frustration, and listened as she scuttled and nearly tripped up to her room.

_Go after her Link, _I thought, _don't leave things like this._

"Saria wait!" I called after her, aggravated with myself that I let things get so out of control. "Wait! I'm sorry!"

I heard her door slam on the third floor and closed my eyes.

"Damn it!" I muttered to myself, as I ran a hand through my blonde hair.

_That was not how that was supposed to go! _I thought, then hurried upstairs after her.

I paused for a moment and stared at her door before I knocked on it.

_Approach this sensibly Link, _I told myself, _stop acting on your impulses. _

That wasn't going to be easy for me, because I was a very impulsive man.

"Sar?" I called out finally. "Sar, please open up. I didn't mean for things to go so far."

There was a brief silence before she answered.

"Go away," she said finally from the other side.

Her reply reminded me of the Kokiri in the forest.

"Saria-" I tried.

"Go away Link!" she snapped. "It's over alright! It was a mistake!"

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, realizing I wasn't going to get through to her after what just happened.

_Let it be Link, _I told myself, _she doesn't want to talk to you right now._

Frustrated, I went to my own room and fell on my bed.

_So much for being casual, _I thought.

~SSS~

The next day I woke up to find Saria already gone. I was confused by that at first, but then I realized she had a fitting scheduled at the castle. It was too bad, because I wanted to apologize for how I acted the other night. I knew the way I approached the situation was not ideal, but I got so heated I didn't use my rational judgment.

_Not the smartest move Link, _I thought, _that's twice you screwed up with Saria. _

I also had to think how she was going to be received when she went to the castle. I knew she was anticipating a cold greeting, and the added stress of last night was not going to help her. I ran a hand over my face, feeling ridiculous and stupid at the same time. I wasn't usually so imprudent, but over the last few months, I'd been acting like that was an inherent staple to my personality.

_I hope Saria's ready for a cold greeting, _I thought, hoping she didn't get harassed too much, _it's going to be so awkward for her._

I sighed and groaned as I got up to get ready for the day. I made sure to be extremely quiet. It was a practice I kept into play every day since I'd been staying there. I had no idea when the scientist was going to return, and didn't want to start acting like he wouldn't. He'd been gone for three weeks now, and I had no idea when he would just pop up again. After all, it was his residence. He had no idea I was staying there.

_Keep your senses, _I told myself, tying my cloak and sliding my satchel over my shoulder.

I checked my appearance, then opened the door to the bedroom slowly and peered out. I saw no one. With the area clear, I hurried to and down the first staircase, pausing several times at the slightest sound.

_What was that? _I thought, hearing a strange creek.

My heart began to pound faster.

_Is… is he back? _I thought.

I pressed myself up against the wall until the sound subsided.

_False alarm, _I thought, when I saw no one come up the steps.

When my heart calmed, I sidled against the wall and looked around the corner. There was no one there. I then hurried through the secondary hall to, and down, the second staircase. I paused and looked into the living room prudently, but found nobody there either. I sighed in relief, but couldn't help but feel a strange sense of alarm and puzzlement.

_Where is he? _I thought suddenly.

I then decided to check the house openly.

The kitchen was empty.

The lab was empty.

Even the hydro chamber where I got the silver scale was empty.

The old man was not there.

_Where could he be? _I thought a little worried about him, but then remembered Saria's words. _"He's out of town checking on some experiment he did on a Goron…"_

I paused and pondered on that for a moment.

_Experiment huh? _I thought. _I hope that Goron appreciates the follow up, because that's one hell of a house call._

The innate feeling of dread settled a little deeper.

…_If that's where he is, _I thought with an abrupt sense of cynicism.

I tried to shake my head of my thought process, but couldn't. I didn't understand it, maybe it was just me.

_People don't just up and leave for weeks at a time with no clear explanation, _I thought.

But then... what was I saying about Saria? Was I calling her a liar? Saria specifically told me he took off and he would be gone for a while. Did I think she was hiding something from me? I wasn't there when the negotiations were made, so it could have very well been as she said. It just seemed odd to me that the owner of a house would leave a complete stranger to their own devices. Not that I didn't trust Saria, it was just... out of the ordinary, even for the eccentric old man. However, many things were out of the ordinary lately.

In any such case, I had to let it go and put my suspicions on the back saddle. I had more pressing things to worry about, like scoping out the area of a killer. I had a very small window of opportunity to investigate and intercept the assassin's plans. I just hoped it would be enough. I headed for Hyrule Castle Garden where the coronation was going to be held. I went via the passageway through the cave I found yesterday on the far right side of Lake Hylia. The tunnels led directly to the city. I arrived at Castle Town in roughly forty-five minutes using the underwater storm drain network.

I waited for a moment down the shaft as I saw a shadow cast over the grid that filtered the sunlight underground.

_I can't get caught, _I thought, realizing the danger I was putting myself under, _if I do the princess will die._

I took in a deep, troubled breath when I seriously contemplated the outcome.

_I can't be careless, _I thought.

I climbed up the ladder and quickly removed the wrought iron screen from the storm drain. Once I got out, I quickly put it back in place.

_Leave no traces, _I told myself.

I looked around and regressed into some shadows when I saw someone approach the alley. Fortunately, it was just a child running after a ball. Once he retrieved it, he headed back to the town square. I looked behind me just then and grabbed onto the rose trellis adjacent to me. I climbed it and carefully crawled onto one of the rooftops. I quickly hid myself when I saw the shadow of a guard. I knew I was in the tekkite's den, and if I was caught, that was it. However, I had to figure out what the assassin's plan of attack would be. I couldn't let fear dispel me.

When the guard turned his back, I jumped to the next roof stealthily. When I landed, I rolled out of sight of another guard. I stood up behind the shadow of the chimney, and glanced at the clearing. There were two guards standing watch, but admittedly they weren't doing a very good job surveying the area.

_No wonder that arrow came through my window a few weeks ago, _I thought, shaking my head, _these idiots aren't even paying attention to their posts._

I maneuvered every time they veered in opposing directions. I was finally able to jump when I saw the opposite rooftop was clear. I landed a little harder than I had anticipated, and caused a ground guard to look up. I hid by the chimney and crawled low to the shingled fixtures. When the guard halted his pursuit, I crawled towards the edge and stopped, realizing I was at the residence closest to Hyrule Castle.

_Perfect, _I thought.

I took out my eagle eye specs and immediately began scouring the terrain. I peered at the commodious green expanse adjacent to the moat next to the castle. The coronation was going to be held there. I looked around the perimeter and saw edges of rock awning off to the road, along with a few sparse trees that dotted the grounds. Nothing about the typography instigated an attack.

_Open, _I thought, _everything is going to be wide open._

I then focused my attention on the castle and took note of the two towers. The towers were two direct vantage points for a back of the head or neck attack. I highly doubted the assassin would choose either place for the murder. One reason was because it was too obvious. This killer was a sick twisted individual, and I suspected the only way they wanted to kill was in a sick twisted way. The second reason was the escape route. Once an individual was up either one of the towers, there was only two ways down: the ladder, or an insane jump, and that was a seventy feet drop. I didn't care how acrobatic the assassin was, or _thought_ he was, a seventy feet drop would incapacitate anyone. No, he would try something else.

_If I were a crazed killer what would I want to see? _I thought, trying to force insanity into my mind.

The assassin was bold, I gathered that from our last encounter.

_I think the bastard will try a frontal assault,_ I reasoned.

The most dramatic death would be by a shot taken on horseback across the grassy expanse near the garden.

_Right where everyone could see, _I thought, narrowing my eyes.

The assassin would wait for Zelda to make her grand entrance in her Hylian garb, and right when she began playing the Ballad of the Goddess, the assassin would take the shot.

_That has to be it, _I thought, not seeing any other way, _that has to be what the assassin wants to do._

I took in a deep breath, wishing I could relay these suspicions to the king, but as it stood, if I uttered one word to the king, other citizens lives would be in danger.

_It's much easier to protect one person, _I thought.

I continued surveying the area and veered my view to the gate. My eyes widened in surprise suddenly when I saw someone unexpected. Saria was being escorted by two guards past the gate keeper. Apparently her fitting with Zelda was over.

_What time is it? _I wondered, looking up at the sky.

It was high noon. I pulled my specs from my eyes and took in a deep thoughtful breath.

_I wonder how that went, _I thought of Saria's situation.

In a minute decision, I decided to put my specs away and head back to Lake Hylia.

_When I get back, Saria can tell me all about it, _I thought, _she might tell me something useful. Besides, I need to apologize for yesterday._

With the decision made, I backtracked my course, went down into the waterway, and made my way back to Lake Hylia. It took me less than an hour, but longer than when I initially travelled to Castle Town.

_I need to make a note of that, _I thought.

I saw Saria had not arrived yet and stayed hidden in the cave.

_It's a slow walk for her today, _I thought, a little puzzled, _or she may be making sure she's not being followed._

I finally saw Saria approach a few moments later, but I didn't advance farther until I was sure she was alone. When I saw the coast was clear, I went into the house. I must have startled Saria, because she whipped around quickly when she heard the door shut. Her breath lessened when she saw it was me.

"Oh, it's you," she said to me in relief.

I merely nodded, removing my cloak.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," I apologized.

Saria shook her head absently.

"It's alright," she replied.

I pursed my lips together.

"How did it go?" I asked.

Saria raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

"As to be expected," she replied, sitting down on a bench, trying to take off her shoes, "I was considered the filth of the land."

I took in a deep guilty sigh.

"I'm sorry," I said.

Saria shook her head.

"Don't worry about that," she said, "I've dealt with much worse." Saria tried pulling her boot off, but was having to struggle a little with taking it off her foot. "Like this boot here," she said to me, trying to yank at the boot tongue.

She sighed, looking down at her finicky knickers.

"Help me will you?" she asked me, feeling a little weary.

I raised my eyebrows and smirked at her.

"You're not going to kick me are you?" I joked, remembering when I examined her ankle before.

Saria stopped for a moment and grinned back at me.

"Not this time," she replied.

"Okay," I said, kneeling down and propping my hands on her heel, "pull back."

Saria did as I told her and her foot slipped out with ease. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," she said to me slightly exaggerated.

I then got up and watched her rub her sore foot.

"Ah," she moaned, rubbing her tarsals soothingly, "I am going to hate that walk over the next few days."

I rubbed the back of my neck and stared her feet sympathetically.

_Maybe that's why Zelda commissioned her, _I thought, _she knew the walk would be hell._

I looked back at Saria's face and saw that her eyes looked a little tired.

_She must have gotten up really early, _I thought, then made a quick decision to comfort her.

"Here let me," I offered, taking her foot in my hands and gently massaging her metatarsals.

Saria looked at me surprised and blushed.

"No!" Saria said quickly, pulling her foot back from my reach. "It's okay, I've got it."

I looked at her for a moment and merely nodded. I understood all too well. I stood up and took in a deep breath. We were silent for a moment.

_She probably doesn't want a repeat of yesterday, _I thought.

I decided to break the silence by bringing up a neutral subject.

"So, what's the old man's estimated time of arrival?" I segued.

Saria looked thoughtfully at the wall across from where she was sitting.

"He said a few days when I first arrived," she replied, "but that's obviously turned into longer than he anticipated. He's been gone for quite a while now. When he'll be back I couldn't tell you for certain."

I nodded showing I understood.

"I'm not going to lie," I began, "I was a little worried about him."

Saria paused with her foot massage and looked up at me.

"Why?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"It's just odd that he'd leave a complete stranger in his house," I replied.

I guess I didn't realize how oblong my statement sounded.

Saria looked at me with slight indignation.

"I live here now," she said to me simply, "I've paid him his rent. What is so strange about that?"

I raised my eyebrows, surprised by the slight curt undertone.

_Maybe I did insinuate a bit, _I thought.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "that was rude of me."

Saria cut her eyes at me and went back to her foot massage.

"Do you think I _did_ something to him?" she asked me abruptly. "I'm not just the town slut, but a deceiver of old people too?"

I didn't let it show, but her words struck a chord in me. I didn't like her referring to herself as such, especially when I knew that wasn't true about her character. I had already unjustly presumed things in the past, and I didn't want her thinking I still saw her that way. It was the farthest thing from the truth.

_I know that isn't who you are, _I thought.

"That isn't funny," I said to her slightly upset.

She looked up at me.

"I wasn't saying it to be funny," she replied, "but that's what happens when you assume Link."

I bit my lower lip, understanding the point all too well. We were both quiet for a moment.

"What did you do this morning?" Saria asked me, breaking the brief silence, and changing the subject.

I paused for a moment having to think quickly.

"I went to Faron Woods," I replied in a casual manner.

Saria paused massaging her foot again and looked up at me.

"You went to Faron Woods?" she asked, there was a hint of distrust in her voice.

I sensed it immediately.

"I know I'm not a knight anymore, but these are still dangerous times we live in," I said carefully. "I had to check the woods to be sure there were no scouts."

Saria stared deeply into my eyes just then.

_What is this all about? _I thought, feeling a little apprehensive.

"Faron Woods huh?" Saria said, looking back down at her foot.

I rubbed the back of my neck anxiously at her suspicious tone.

_What isn't she telling me? _I wondered.

"What's so strange about that?" I asked her, not being to help myself.

Saria took in a deep thoughtful sigh.

"Has Faron Woods been reconfigured?" she asked me strangely.

I looked at her puzzled.

"No," I said, "why?"

Saria narrowed her eyes slightly, and looked back up at me again.

"Because I _saw_ you when I left the castle," she divulged.

I looked at her mildly stunned. She just caught me in a lie.

_Damn it! _I thought.

I swallowed hard, not having a reply to that.

_How in the world could she have seen me, when I snuck past the_ entire_ guard and they didn't even see me? _I wondered. _She's got extraordinary depth perception._

Saria continued to stare at me, waiting for my rebuttal.

"Well?" she asked with a raised brow.

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I don't follow you," I said, trying to be evasive.

Saria let go of her foot and stood up, she looked at me warily.

"See if you follow this," she began, "I spied a blonde fellow cloaked in black atop a house of a resident. He peered through some specs looking for who knows what, until he saw me coming through the gate. He bore a striking resemblance to you."

I stared at Saria shocked.

_How in the world did she know where I was? _I thought.

"You want to run your morning by me again?" Saria asked me and narrowed her eyes once more.

_Think quick man!_ I thought with a slight panic.

I looked away from her eyes for a moment.

"Okay," I said, still trying to be evade, "okay, I... went to the castle because I was worried about you."

Saria was quiet for a long moment and looked at me with indifference.

"What?" she asked surprised.

_I'm going to hate myself for this, _I thought.

"I wanted to be sure you were okay," I replied.

It wasn't a total lie, I was worried about her.

Saria stared at me for a moment. I was sure she was trying to determine if I was telling the truth.

"I'm a big girl Link," she said to me, "I know how to get to the castle."

I sighed a little in relief.

"I know, but considering what just happened I needed to reassure myself," I said to her.

Saria was quiet for a long moment again.

"Reassure yourself?" she repeated with cynicism.

I nodded, knowing it was a weak segue.

"Hmph," she grunted thoughtfully, "I guess I had that pegged wrong."

Saria went and sat back down.

I was a little uncomfortable with her last statement.

"What did you have it pegged as?" I asked, not being able to help myself.

Saria went back to massaging her foot.

"I thought you were going to see the princess," she replied.

_What? _I thought perplexed.

"No," I said quickly, I almost had an inflection of anger in my tone, "why would I do that?"

Saria looked up at me surprised.

"My mistake," she replied, finding my reply odd, "I just assumed. You _were_ engaged to her at one time."

I wanted to kick myself for overreacting.

_She's going to know something is up with me if I keep acting stupid, _I thought.

Saria looked back up at me again.

"I guess that's what happens when you assume, huh?" she stated.

I took in a deep breath at her comeback.

_Touche, _I thought.

There was an awkward silence between us. I stood staring at Saria with minor disconcertion, then went to the basin next to the door to wash my hands.

_Take this time to change the subject and apologize, _I told myself, needing a detraction.

"I... um," I started, "I wanted to apologize for how I acted towards you last night. I was completely out of line."

Saria sighed and didn't reply right away.

"Don't worry about it," she said finally, "I know you aren't normally like that. It was just impulse."

_It was more than impulse Saria, _I thought.

There was a brief silence between us.

"I..." she trailed, "I really think you should go see the princess," she said all of a sudden.

I closed my eyes and took in a frustrated breath.

"Saria..." I trailed.

"She talked about you the entire time, you know," Saria divulged, going on anyway, "she said she wants all her children to look like you."

_That must have been uncomfortable, _I thought, feeling a little guilty Saria had to be subjected to that.

I paused for a moment and stopped the pump for the water system.

"Did she?" I asked, already knowing that was true.

Saria nodded and was quiet for a moment.

"She's head over heels in love with you Link," she said finally.

I picked up a towel next to the basin and wiped my hands.

"Yeah," I said absently, "I know."

There was another silence. I heard Saria sigh irritably behind me just then.

"Why don't you quit this foolish macho charade of yours and commence with your wedding?" Saria asked me abruptly.

I turned and looked at her surprised.

"What?" I replied.

"You heard what I said," she replied, "it would be foolish to let her go over something trivial."

I was getting a little upset with her meddling.

_You have no idea how long I've had doubts, _I thought, _t__his isn't just a fly by night thing._

"Why don't you let me worry about Zelda, Saria?" I replied. "I know how to deal with that situation."

Saria narrowed her eyes at me upset.

"Zelda's not a 'situation' Link," she said to me, holding up her hands in quotes, "she's a person."

I was really starting to get angry with her rhetoric.

"Like I said," I began again, "I know how to deal with her."

Saria rolled her eyes and looked away from me.

"Apparently you don't," she replied.

I was beginning to lose my patience with this topic.

"Drop it Sar," I warned.

"It's obvious you don't know what you're about to throw away," she went on anyway.

I looked at her angrily.

"Don't know what I'm throwing away?" I repeated incredulously. "Did you not hear the king's decree? If I come within a thousand feet of her, I'll be beheaded!"

Saria shook her head irritably.

"You know that's a load of crap!" Saria shot back. "Zelda's a sage! She gets whatever she wants! No interdict from her father can stop that!"

There was something strange in the wording of that statement.

_What? _I thought.

"What the hell is your problem?" I said to her upset. "Why are you so concerned about it anyway?"

She swallowed hard and looked away.

"Nothing," Saria responded, trying to sound casual, "I'm just trying to help you see things for what they really are."

_'What they really are?' _I thought bewildered.

I looked at her with open peculiarity just then.

_There has to be reason for all this,_ I thought, _none of what she's saying, or doing makes any sense, unless... something happened at the castle._

"Were you threatened?" I asked her, detracting the subject. "Is that why you're speaking like this?"

Saria didn't reply.

_That's a yes, _I discerned.

"Who threatened you?" I demanded. "Daphnes, or Zelda?"

Saria still wouldn't look at me.

"No one threatened me," she said quietly, "I'm saying this of my own accord."

I folded my arms across my chest.

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe that," I replied to her.

She turned back to look at me.

"It's true!" she insisted.

"Saria-" I tried.

"Oh come on Link just marry her!" Saria interrupted exasperatedly. "You've been with her for eight years! She's been there for you in some of your loneliest times! You couldn't play Saria's Song and speak to your best friend the way you used to! Life had to move on! You had to move on! And she's given that to you. Don't let something like that go!"

I stared at her long and hard for a moment.

_Wait a minute, _I thought, catching her off guard,_ Saria just said something that didn't make sense, unless…_

"How do you know that?" I demanded, detracting the subject.

Saria stiffened and looked at me in alarm.

"What do you mean?" she asked evasively.

I took a step towards her.

"How do you know that _about_ Saria's Song?" I repeated with clarity. "I never told you I could speak to her using her song."

Saria's eyes widened in panic.

"I-I-I told you about the song the other night," she said to me quickly.

"You never told me I could _communicate_ with Saria using her song," I replied, finding her mistake. "You just slipped up."

She didn't answer, and took a step back.

My eyes narrowed at her knowingly.

"You have your memory back completely, don't you?" I demanded angrily.

Saria took another step back and her breathing accelerated.

_That's how she knew about how long Zelda and I were together, _I thought, _that's how she knew about... __everything,_ _her memories have returned._

"Y-yes," she stuttered, not knowing what else to do.

I felt my heart begin to pound forcefully.

"How?" I asked, not knowing what else to ask. "When?"

Saria shook her head.

"They just came to me," she said to me, "just suddenly, as if out of nowhere."

I took a step towards her, not being able to believe it.

"Is that why you wanted to see the Deku Tree?" I asked.

Saria looked away from me nervously and fidgeted with her hands. She merely nodded her reply.

"I wanted to know if it would tell me more," she said quietly, "some of the things I remember make no sense."

I waited for her to go on.

She didn't.

"Like?" I pressed.

Saria shook her head.

"I can't tell you," she replied.

I looked at her upset.

"You can't tell me?" I repeated in disbelief.

"No," she said.

There was another silence between us.

_I can't believe this, _I thought, _I can't freaking believe this!_

"So, I guess you know how I really feel about you then," I said abruptly.

Saria bit her lower lip and merely nodded.

"But you still want me to marry the princess?" I asked incredulous.

Saria looked away.

"It's the right thing to do," she replied.

_The right thing to do? _I thought dubiously.

"What about what's right for you and I?" I demanded. "What the hell Saria? What about that?"

Saria looked back at me angrily.

"There is no you and I!" she shot back. "I can't be with you Link!"

"Saria-" I tried.

As if on command Saria grabbed her forehead.

"Ahh!" Saria screamed out in agonizing pain.

_What the…? _I thought.

I quickly hurried over to her to help her. Saria tried to elbow herself out of my reach, but I didn't care I wasn't going to just sit back and watch again. Saria screamed continuously and her body began to convulse slightly. In between the convulsions, her body appeared translucent, as if flickering on and off like a lantern. The episode lasted for thirty seconds, but it felt like forever.

_What the hell is causing this? _I thought worried.

When it was over Saria immediately broke down and cried. She buried her head in my chest. I held onto her tightly, wanting her to feel safe. We were both quiet for a long moment.

_She must be so terrified, _I thought.

"I wanted to go with you to the Deku Tree to see if I could be cured," she sobbed with a trembling voice, "did it tell you anything about that?"

I shook my head and swallowed hard.

"No," I replied, "it wouldn't tell me anything about your condition. It even seemed a bit worried itself."

Her eyes widened in fear.

"Oh no," she whispered.

_Great, _I thought with sarcasm, not being able to believe I was being so stupid. _Why say that to her now?_

"I'll figure this out, I'll-" I tried to reassure.

However, Saria pushed herself away from me.

"You can't help me with this," she said to me all of a sudden.

I looked at her surprised.

"Saria I _want _to help you!" I stated upset. "I'm not going to let you deal with this on your own!"

"You _can't _help me with this Link!" she repeated. "I mean it! Just let it go!"

I didn't even understand how the hell she could say that to me.

_Let it go? _I thought in disbelief.

"Don't say that!" I replied. "I'll-"

"You can't Link!" she interrupted fiercely.

She stepped back and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Why?" I demanded back. "Why the hell are you being so damn stubborn?"

Saria's eyes immediately refilled with tears.

"Because... because if you keep helping me I'll disappear!" Saria divulged.

I felt my mouth drop in shock.

"What?" I asked.

Saria took another step back from me, and covered her mouth as if she was going to be sick.

I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it.

"Saria-" I tried reaching for her.

"No," she said, pulling from my reach.

"You can't just-" I tried, but was halted when a thunderous march of hooves precluded the air.

Saria's eyes widened as she looked beyond me out the window. There was a royal brigade approaching.

"You have to get out of here!" Saria said to me in panic. "Go hide in the basement!"

I wasn't aware there was a basement, I usually hid in the attic. She grabbed my hand and ran with me down a short hall. We stopped at a bookcase where Saria quickly pulled a hidden lever and the bookcase subsided. When the door opened, she quickly pushed me inside and closed it back. I looked around in surprise at the small hiding place. I was breathing hard as I tried to calm down. Saria was putting herself at great risk to protect me. I put my ear up against the wall hoping to listen in. All I could pick up was muffled sounds.

"What can I do for you my lord?" I heard Saria ask.

"We're performing a surprise search for the fugitive Link," the guard said to her.

"You still haven't apprehended him?" Saria replied to him pretending ignorance. "Have you tried the mountains?"

"Details of our search is none of your concern!" the guard snapped rudely to her. "We have reason to believe he backtracked and came here."

I heard her pretend to be shocked.

"Why?" Saria asked.

"We're aware of your _relationship_ with him seamstress," the guard said to her curtly.

"I have no relationship-" Saria tried.

"Shut up you dirty bitch!" the guard snapped. "Stand aside!"

I felt my eyes widen when I heard that.

_That asshole! _I thought upset, feeling my blood boil. _If he hurts her I'll…_

After that, I heard footsteps trample throughout the house, going up the stairs and throughout the rooms. The guards were breaking things and turning things over, because it sounded like chaos.

_Just be okay Saria, _I thought, trying to stay calm, _just be okay._

"Sir!" one of the guards said abruptly to his lieutenant. "I found this."

I looked at the wall puzzled.

_Found what? _I thought.

"What the hell is this?" The guard demanded of Saria.

There was silence for a moment.

"I-I don't know," Saria replied hesitantly.

"It looks like a crossbow projectile if you ask me!" The guard stated with cynicism. "The same ones found in the assailant's cell!"

_Damn it! _I thought. _They must have found the missile from my pocket. Saria had to have taken it out when she washed my tunic._

I abruptly heard a slap.

_Oh goddess! _I thought, angrily thinking I wouldn't be able to stay in hiding for much longer. _If they're hurting her…_

"You're under arrest for aiding a fugitive," the guard said suddenly, "and for assaulting a member of the royal army."

I felt my stomach turn when I heard Saria being placed under arrest, but couldn't help but smirk at her spunk.

_Serves the bastard right,_ I thought.

"Watch where you touch you bastard!" I heard Saria snap.

With that the house was cleared. When everything was said and done, I had to admit I was not impressed with the level of search the guards performed on the residence. Not that I wanted them to catch me.

_It's a wonder we got anything done when I was commanding the army, _I thought. _Those idiots do a haphazard job._

I shook my head of the silly thought and immediately focused my attention back to Saria.

_She just got arrested helping me, _I thought feeling guilty, _I've got to get her out of custody, but how?_

I left the basement when the area was clear. I went to the living room and looked out the window and saw Saria being escorted away. She looked stoic. I knew she was trying to keep a strong front, but I could tell she was terrified.

_I'll get you out Sar, _I thought, feeling the guilt swell, _I'll get you out, and make sure you never go back._

The day of the coronation.

Yes.

Saria would be freed the day of the coronation.

_Just be strong for me for a few days, _I thought.

"I swear I'll get you out of there," I whispered to myself, "I swear."

* * *

><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 12 will be up next week.<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Inspiration: Prototype's "The Way It Ends," stylized fighting is always better with a guitar in the back ground lol.**

**Original Shout Outs: 'TheNive' for taking the plunge and writing a wonderful story about Dampe the grave keeper called "Goodbye Hyrule." ****Nevix, RageInStages, Tadgh, Jadus.**

**Author Note: Okay, I already know this was obvious. I wrote it that way for dramatic irony... you know what I mean lol. ~ZR~.**

**Reedited 4/9/2012, ADDENDUM 2/1/2013.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12<p>

The Coronation

~SSS~

The Last Narrative of an Assassin

_Today's the day, _the killer thought, _today's the day when the threads of fate finally tie together. _

The assassin slipped on their black gloves and tightened the cowl around their face.

_That fallen knight is about to be Hyrule's great savior once more, _the slave thought, and opened the door to the cell they were occupying.

The killer looked around the dank surroundings and jumped up to the cedar beam in the ceiling. They made their way down a small tunnel to a secret passage and opened a small door leading to the outside of the castle from a hidden cubbyhole. The assassin raised their hands to cover their face from the light of the rising sun. When the initial sensorial shock subsided, the slave stared at the bright amber dawn.

_That's the only real light in this world, isn't it? _I thought. _Everything else is smoke and mirrors. _

The slave cut their gaze short and jumped down the short tower wall gracefully. They landed in some soft plush grass and rolled into a standing position. They took off running when the coast was clear, and put their fingers to their lips. A moment later a horse galloped towards the killer. The slave grabbed onto the mane of the horse's hair and mounted the steed in one swoop. The killer then directed the stallion to a shadowed area in the thickets near the castle's garden wall.

_It's all a waiting game now, _the slave thought, _it's your move white knight._

~SSS~

Link's POV

The days leading up to the coronation went by in a blur. I decided to stay in the basement since Saria's arrest. The old man was still away, but I didn't want to take the chance of him coming back and me getting caught. I spent the remaining time configuring my plans and situational scenarios for Zelda's protection and Saria's escape.

I knew Saria would be put in the dungeon under heavy guard. I would have to come for her after the assassination attempt. I considered the fact that Saria was probably frightened beyond belief with her new circumstances, but in all honesty that was probably the safest place for her to be. There was no telling what was going to go down today.

_Just please hang on and be patient, _I thought.

Zelda's dilemma was a little more complicated. I had no idea how the assassin was going to attack. All I had was a hunch, and that hunch was telling me that I needed to be alert to any unorthodox activity during Zelda's reenactment as Hylia playing the Ballad of the Goddess.

_"What better way to shoot the princess down than as her portrayal of something she cherishes the most, Hylia the protector of Hyrule," _the assassin's voice echoed through my mind.

That was my only clue to the assassin's devices. Admittedly, it seemed too obvious. However, I didn't have time to understand the rationale behind that. I had to go with what I was given. The assassin had all the cards. I could only play the hand I was dealt. I couldn't spend my time worrying why a crazed killer acted the way they did, the coronation started in two hours. I needed to get to the castle before the proceedings began.

I dressed in my green tunic and cloak, but I knew those clothes wouldn't do. If I wanted to get close to Zelda, I would have to debilitate one of the guards and take their uniform. I was still a fugitive, and there were still individuals benefiting from my absence. The last thing a guard with a promotion wanted was for me to show back up, save the princess, and ruin their chances for another commission. I had to be careful.

_Stealth mode Link,_ I told myself, _stealth mode._

I headed out for Hyrule and took the passageway via the storm drain system. I arrived in less than an hour and could feel the vibrant energy from the festivities that day. I wish I could have viewed the day in the vein of an unknowing spectator, but I couldn't. I needed to initiate the first phase of my plan: getting a uniform.

_I'll have to disengage one of the lone guards, _I thought.

I waited for the soldier patrolling the back alley to walk over the storm drain grid. I then hurried up the ladder and removed the grid as quietly as possible. I pulled myself up and out when I saw the area was clear and crawled into a corner in a niche in the effacing wall. I stayed hidden in the shadows when I saw the guard turn back around to double back; he no doubt had heard me. When the guard got closer, I reached out from my hiding place and pressed my hands on his cervical spine and momentarily incapacitated his phenric nerve. The guard fell immediately. I dragged him into the shadows where I was hiding, and began removing his armor. I tried to work quickly, but paused for a moment when I saw another shadow approach the alley.

"Gunter, is everything all clear back there?" the other guard called out.

I held in a nervous breath for a moment.

_Should I answer? _I thought, feeling sweat begin to seed my brow.

"Gunter?" The guard called out again.

_I have to say something, _I thought.

"Uh… everything is fine," I replied quickly, "a rat startled me is all."

The other guard fell silent for a moment, but didn't proceed further.

"A rat?" he repeated with a hint of doubt.

I watched to see if his shadow was going to advance. When he didn't, I took in a sigh of relief.

"Stop being so jumpy over stupid things!" the guard snapped to me. "This is a big day for the princess."

I took in a relieved breath.

_That was close, _I thought.

"Right," I replied quickly, hoping he stayed where he was, "my mistake. It's all clear down here by the way."

The guard just nodded, then turned and headed in the opposite direction. When the other soldier's shadow lessened, I hurried to undress the guard I had previously apprehended and changed into the garments. I made sure the unconscious guard was well hidden in the niche near the trellis so he wouldn't be seen. There was no telling when he'd wake up. Before I left, I checked his pulse to make sure he wasn't dead. He wasn't fortunately, but I knew that nerve wouldn't stay pinched for long.

_I have to hurry, _I thought.

I quickly reentered the alley and proceeded down the route the unconscious guard was suppose to cover.

"Hey Gunter!" I heard the other guard call behind me again.

I froze, but didn't turn around.

"Yeah?" I called back.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded of me suddenly.

I tensed up a little bit.

_What now? _I wondered.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Stop being a damn sissy," the guard said to me feeling the need to reiterate, "I just realized what you told me. A rat won't kill you! If that gets back to the captain, you can kiss that promotion goodbye."

I balled my fists slightly when I thought he was about to advance towards me.

_Just go away, _I thought, _I don't want to have to hurt you._

"Right," I replied, trying to go along with his reading, "I just need to relax."

"Damn straight," he said to me, "today is an important day, and if anything goes wrong, it's our asses."

_That's an understatement, _I thought.

"Right," I said again.

With that, the guard turned back around and went to patrol his section of the alley again. When he was gone I looked up to see which residence had the easiest roof access.

_I need to get inside the castle gates, _I thought, _and I need to get there quickly._

I continued down the alley, then looked over my shoulder briefly to see if the guard had returned. When I saw that the area was clear, I quickly segued underneath an awning and climbed it. I stayed cropped underneath it when a shadow appeared over the edge.

_The guard is much heavier today, _I thought, _but that's exactly what I was expecting. There's probably two men patrolling the roof._

I waited for one of the guards to pass by before climbing over the awning, and securing a hiding place on the rooftop. I hid behind a chimney, and realized there weren't two guards patrolling the area, but four, and they were all heavily armed.

_Damn, _I thought, as one of the men circumvented my vantage point, _I'm going to have to take at least two of them out._

I waited and studied their formation for a moment. There was break in continuity at every thirtieth and fifty-seventh step in their rotation. If I timed it right, the window they were gaping would make the distance between the soldiers I attacked and the soldiers that would come and help a measurement of twenty-five feet. That would take approximately four point two seconds for a heavily armed soldier to sprint. I could incapacitate two of them in that time, while still having enough energy to defend from the other two when they finally tried to apprehend me. I couldn't hesitate at doing this. This had to be done, and done right.

_Stay focused, _I told myself again.

When the two guards nearest to me turned to continue their rotation, I quickly jumped from my hiding place, grabbed both of them by the neck, and tossed them over the side to the back alley. The two of them were completely thrown for a loop so they had nonexistent counters. Their cries alerted the two guards on the other side.

"What in the world-?" one of them said, but when he caught sight of me his eyes narrowed.

The other soldier looked beyond me to the alley between the buildings.

"Did you~?" he didn't finish.

I wasn't expecting them to delay like this. It made my counter strategy for them much easier, as the recoup time was extended.

"If you want to just turn and pretend you didn't see anything that would probably be in your best interest," I said in a low unrecognizable voice.

They both scoffed in anger.

"Prattonson! Inglemyer!" the first one called, hoping to get a response from his comrades.

There was no reply. As there wouldn't be, they were unconscious in the alley below.

_I need to hurry, _I thought all of a sudden, _these idiots are taking way too long to make a decision._

I got into my battle stance, which finally prompted dumb and dumber to attack me. However, I didn't plan to engage either one of them in sword combat. I wasn't on a quest to multiply a body count, I just wanted to get by to save Hyrule's princess. When the soldiers got close in their charge, I apprehended them the same way I did the other two. I grabbed the both of them by the neck, stopping them in mid-run, and tossed them over the side wall. I then hurried back behind the chimney where I was hiding at first when I saw several guards approach from the adjacent rooftop. It was actually a good thing, because if I could get past them it was a clear run of jumps to the castle gates.

"What the hell happened?" one of them demanded, looking over the side and seeing the four men piled on top of each other.

Two of them grabbed the butts of their swords.

"It looks like we have an intruder," one of them said and pointed two of them in the opposing direction, "let's scout the area and try to find him."

"Right!" they all said in unison.

However, the one taking the lead made one of them stay behind.

"You wait here and patrol this area," he directed, "he may come back."

_I never left, _I thought, staying quiet.

When the other three men left the one lone soldier went around the perimeter checking over each side. I knew I had to take him out quickly. When he came near the chimney, I stepped from the shadows and revealed myself from my hiding place. His eyes widened when he got a good look at my face from underneath my helmet.

"S-Sir Link!" he whispered to me in alarm. "Wait-I mean the fugitive!"

He was going to alert everyone if I didn't shut him up.

"Shh," I said to him, putting a finger to my lips, then abashedly kicked him in the genitals.

That was low, but he was asking for it.

_Sorry my friend, _I thought, _but you were a bit too rowdy._

"What's going on over there?" another guard demanded from another rooftop.

_Think quick, _I thought.

"Looks like we've got a few slackers," I replied, pointing to the injured guard hunched over on the ground, then glancing over at the roof's edge where I had tossed the others. "This idiot think it's party time when we're trying to find the guy who tossed the others."

The new guard shook his head irritably.

"We don't have time for such stupidity!" he said to me annoyed, then jumped to where I was and looked down at the fallen soldier.

I went along with it, and kept my face low.

"Yeah I know," I agreed, shaking my head.

"Do me a favor will you?" he asked me. "I can't leave the area, otherwise the promotion I'm looking at will be gone with the wind. Check on the other guards in the residing areas to make sure they're all on task, then afterwards got to the castle and request reinforcements."

I couldn't believe my good fortune.

_He's making this too easy, _I thought, _everyone's looking for a promotion._

"Yes sir," I replied and saluted him.

The guard nodded at me, and I quickly hurried to the next roof. I had no idea when the guards I disenfranchised would come to, and I didn't want to be there to find out.

_Once they wake up that's it, _I thought.

I hurried through the assignment so as not to cause anymore unnecessary suspicion. I briskly checked on each guard, and when everything was said and done, I headed to the castle gate to get inside the coronation grounds. I looked up at the sun and knew I was running short of time. The town's people would be coming in soon to take their seats.

_I need to get close to Zelda, _I thought.

I stopped short of the gate when two of the guards saw me approach.

_Oh boy, _I thought, _another potential problem. _

I needed to be in character.

"What are you doing here soldier?" one of the guards asked me.

"I was told to request reinforcements," I replied affirmatively.

"Why?" the other asked with a raised brow.

"A few guards engaged in some horseplay and injured themselves," I replied, "I was told to get replacements."

Both the guards sighed.

"Those idiots," one of them said under his breath.

They both kept me waiting for a few moments, then finally looked through a log book.

"Do you have a transcription order to see the captain?" the first guard asked me.

I shook my head.

"I only received a verbal request," I replied.

One of the guards paused and looked at me for a moment.

"From who?" the guard asked me suspiciously.

_I hope the guy that sent me has some clout, _I thought.

"The guard covering district nine," I replied.

"Private Keaton," the other guard said absently, and then added to his comrade, "it's okay he's good, I know Keaton. He does some good work, he's looking to get promoted."

I didn't let it show, but I felt a wave of relief.

"Alright," the first guard said, "you can go through."

The guards then unlocked the gate and I passed through with ease. Once inside I looked around and saw a sight I had not previously seen before. There was a large ivory statue in the center of the grassy expanse. It was a replica of Hylia.

_When the hell was that erected? _I thought incredulously.

I tried not to let the statue distract me too much. I didn't want to bring any undue attention to myself.

_Stay focused, _I told myself yet again.

I hurried to the chief of the guard's office, but instead of reporting in, I hid behind a pillar. When the area was clear I hurried down the adjacent hall, and out the side corridor to the outside clearing near the moat. The clearing by the moat was the easiest access to the double doors where the princess would make her grand entrance. I needed a place to hide until the ceremony began. I decided to stay near the moat where the awning precipice could double as an overhead shield. No one would see me from atop underneath there.

_Always think of the unexpected,_ I thought.

All I could do now was hope that my premonitions were right. I had to wait for Zelda to make her entrance, then strong arm my way into her inner guard. It was a brawny blunt plan, but it was the only effective way to ensure my closeness to her. I looked up at the sun, and realized the ceremony was going to begin in a few moments. I glanced over at the castle gate and saw people filtering through.

_Spectacle, _I thought, _the assassin wants a bloody spectacle._

Hundreds of townspeople dressed in their best, came into the grassy area and began taking their seats. I screened each one of them suspiciously. I trusted no one. I had no idea who this assassin was, and any of the townspeople could have been him.

_Where are you, you bastard? _I wondered angrily.

When the seats were filled to the capacity, a loud gong was sounded. The doors to the castle opened slowly and Daphnes came out escorted by his personal guard. Everyone rose and bowed as the king took his seat to the right of the green expanse. I admit I was glad he wasn't taking any chances with his life by utilizing his guard, but I didn't understand the positioning of his seat.

_He's asking to get shot, _I thought.

Daphnes acknowledged his servants with a nod and gestured for them to be seated. I looked back over to the gate as silence precluded the air for several moments. A loud horn and a stringed quartet began to play an interlude. The music swelled through the air, then abruptly halted. The audience was at the edge of their seats in anticipation for what was to come next. Suddenly, several winged riders veered through the gate and careened through the air. The crowd broke into magnificent applause as the birds and riders mimicked the ancestral Skyloftians. I had to admit, it was quite the sight.

_This really is an incredible feat, _I thought.

The ceremony commenced with the retrieval of the tiny goddess statue from a winged bird by the riders. One of the riders represented the goddess's chosen hero. There was a rider who looked a lot like me. I wasn't kidding we could have been related with uncanny resemblance. He was dressed in a green tunic and everything. So, when he won I was not the least bit surprised when he was presented to the crowd as the chosen Hero of Hylia.

The winged riders flew over the crowd and dazzled the audience with turns and aerial loops. Children hooped and hollered in excitement. I had to admit again, it was a pretty entertaining show. I almost was able to enjoy myself.

Almost.

The winged riders performed a few more tricks before they retreated back to their stations inside the echelons of the castle.

_Look for anything out of the ordinary, _I thought suddenly.

I looked around and up the towers for anything suspicious.

So far, there was nothing. Everything was going to according to plan. There was a brief intermission and clowns and singers entertained the crowd with songs and jokes. I sighed, feeling my anxiety level rise.

_Getting the lens of truth has nothing on this, _I thought.

The intermission soon ended and the audience once again took their seats. Everyone looked on in anticipation as the doors to the castle opened again. When the princess finally made her entrance she received a thunderous standing ovation. She looked beautiful. Zelda was dressed in all white with a handmade garment tied around her shoulders. She was carrying a harp and had her hair flowing free with just the sides cropped with crystalline cylinders at the ends. Zelda bowed humbly to the crowd.

_She's gorgeous, _I thought with admiration and a smirk, _she really does look like the protector of Hyrule._

I soon had to shake my head of my thought process and again remember the task at hand.

_There's an assassin that wants her dead Link, _I told myself, _remember that._

I slowly removed myself from my hiding place and advanced towards her entourage. Zelda had four guards surrounding her. At this point I knew I was going to be seen. It was only a matter of time. One of the guards was immediately alerted to my presence and tried to apprehend me. I strong armed him and pierced his vagal plexus at the weak point in his armor. The guard instantly fell, I caught him before he alerted anyone else.

I paused before I advanced further.

The crowd just gave Zelda another thunderous applause. She just finished playing Zelda's Lullaby and explained the origins of the song. She bowed again and held up her harp. Zelda then turned to the rider representing the chosen hero and held out her hand to him. The rider took her hand and bowed respectfully. The rider then stood up and Zelda commenced to playing the Ballad of the Goddess. It was the perfect rendition, and when it was over Zelda was extolled another applause.

I stood back and looked around anxiously, knowing that when Zelda and the rider flew up to the statue she would be out of my reach. I had to make a decision. I saw Zelda mount the bird with the rider.

_If I don't do something right now she's going to die, _I thought.

I took in a deep breath and quickly dashed out to the green expanse. Everyone gasped when they saw me push the rider off the bird and grab Zelda around the waist and take off.

Daphnes jumped from his seat.

"What the-?" Daphnes said shocked.

The guards were alerted immediately.

The audience gasped in surprise.

Zelda looked shocked and tried to free herself, but when she saw it was me, her mouth dropped.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked me in disbelief.

"You have to trust me," I replied, not elaborating just yet, "you have to say something to calm the audience down."

Zelda looked down below us and saw the crowd was in a minor uproar. Daphnes was giving orders to have me apprehended immediately. When we landed on the statue of Hylia, Zelda promptly raised her hands to silence the crowd.

"Father, ladies and gentlemen," she began, "that was all part of the ceremony, please do not be alarmed. We had to add it abruptly because the element of surprise is the best part of any show."

_Some surprises you don't want princess, _I thought worried.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the explanation, but held his guard back.

Audience members looked at one another confused, as did the poor guy playing the chosen hero.

Zelda kept her hands raised.

"Please be seated and do not be alarmed," she repeated.

Zelda then turned to me. She had a smile on her face, which was a good sign in that I had her cooperation. I think she was pleased that I had taken the place of the chosen hero. I looked around the expanse and even above me. I saw no sign of the assassin.

_Where are you? _I thought. _I know you're going to strike soon._

Meanwhile Zelda held her hand out to me, I quickly bowed like the rider before me and took her hand. Zelda then untied her shawl and handed it to me. I took it as her symbol of bestowing the sacred gift of the goddess onto her chosen hero. Zelda then turned to face the statue and placed the tiny replica statue in its holster. When Zelda pulled out her harp to play the Ballad of the Goddess once more that was when all hell broke loose.

Abruptly, I saw a black Gerudo stallion jump over the fence on the right perimeter and advance quickly onto the greens. A rider dressed in black pointed and aimed a crossbow at Zelda.

_There you are, _I thought, moving instantly to protect Zelda.

I quickly pushed Zelda out of harms way, but the projectile skimmed my shoulder.

"Ah," I cried out in pain.

Zelda's eyes widened in terror.

"What's going on?" she demanded anxiously.

I covered her body with mine to protect her.

"There's a hit on your life your highness," I divulged finally, "someone has come here to kill you. If I alerted you, or anyone else, others would die as well."

Zelda gasped in shock.

"What?" she replied in disbelief.

I pushed Zelda back into the niche of the statue as far as she would go.

"Stay there!" I ordered.

I went and looked over the edge carefully to see where the killer had gone. I was fortunate, because I barely missed another shot. The missile grazed my cheek, and blood immediately seeped out.

"Link!" Zelda cried out to me in fear of my safety. "Don't!"

_That bastard waited until we were trapped up here! _I thought in anger.

I pulled back and had to think of another way to protect Zelda. Meanwhile, the crowd screamed and got up to hurry to the castle gate. I pressed my head against the embank of the Hylia statue as another missile whizzed through the air. That's when I felt the hollow curvature behind the tiny replica inlet.

_What is this? _I thought.

"Zelda, can this be opened?" I asked her quickly.

Zelda's eyebrows raised in agreement.

"Yes," she replied.

"Open it, get inside, and don't come out until the guards come for you," I ordered.

Zelda looked at my bleeding face worried.

"What about you?" she demanded of me.

"I'll be fine," I replied, "I've got to stop that killer."

Zelda looked deeply into my eyes and reached over and kissed me, I guess she couldn't help herself.

"Be careful," she said to me with vigilance, then opened the recess behind the inlet and crawled behind it.

When the assassin saw Zelda take to hiding, they immediately turned and retreated.

_What the…? _I thought confused, quickly jumping off the statue and using the shawl as a sailcloth.

When I landed, I rolled to a standing position and ran after the assassin.

The royal guards were in a frenzy, deciding whether they should follow me or save the princess in the statue.

"Go get the princess! She's in the statue!" I ordered. "I've got the assassin!"

The assassin jumped back over the fence on their horse.

I paused for a moment to get a running start, then jumped and climbed over the fence in one try. I landed hard, but shook off my dizziness when I realized the killer was going to get away. I jumped to my feet and quickly whipped out my ocarina. I played Epona's song in a frenzy and hurried to mount my horse when she came to me. I immediately galloped after the assassin. He had a good one hundred feet on me.

The assassin turned around and took a shot at me. I veered Epona to the left and dodged it. The assassin took another shot. I dodged that one as well. I knew it was a rube battle tactic to shoot at a half turned angle on a moving object, because a fighter would lose their center of gravity on the horse. However, the assassin's arrogance overtook his insight as a tactician. Insolently, the bastard tried to shoot at me again, but when he did he toppled sideways and fell.

_Serves your imprudence right, _I thought, but pondered that too soon.

The assassin back flipped in midair, landed on both feet, and immediately took off running towards the forest. That killer's acrobatic abilities were beyond extraordinary, they down right otherworldly.

_Oh no you don't! _I thought, securing my legs around Epona's center and leaning towards the side.

As I got closer, I leaned in and down and stretched out my arm.

_Not this time you son of a bitch! _I thought angrily. _You're not getting away this time!_

The assassin turned as he saw me approach. He rose his arm with the crossbow and tried to fire at me, but it was too late. I already latched my arm firmly around his chest, and that's when I became a little surprised. I quickly learned the assassin wasn't a man.

_A woman? _I thought, and uncharacteristically groped at the female's chest to make sure the sponginess I was feeling was really breast tissue.

She didn't take to kindly to that, as she turned herself to face me and socked me in the chin. The momentum from the assault made us both fly off Epona. The woman landed on her feet, and I landed on my ass. That hurt. However, I shook off the vertigo and hurried onto my feet when I saw her take off into the woods. I quickly followed after her.

She sprinted through Kokiri Woods and headed into the Lost Woods.

I followed after her keeping a steady pace.

_Goddesses she is fast! _I thought gaining on her.

She turned and fired, not a projectile, but a ball of caustic energy.

_Magic? _I thought, dodging the energy cell. _An interloper!_

I gained on her, and when she was within my sights I lunged at her and wrestled her to the ground.

"Ah!" she cried out, trying to free herself from my grasp.

I had my arm pressed against her clothed chin. I could tell she was having a hard time breathing, but she still managed to pull out a knife she had concealed in her shoe and stab me in the side. It didn't travel deep because of the armor I was wearing, but she didn't manage to knick my side.

"Ah!" I cried out, releasing my grip.

The girl jumped up as if nothing happened and took off running again. I quickly got up to run after her. The girl stopped, turned with her knife still in hand, and tried to strike at me. She slashed at me with a vertical slice done at lightening speed, she barely missed my face. She struck again, this time horizontally and aimed for my gut. I grabbed her hand in mid air and pull the knife from her grip. She immediately broke free and initiated a battle stance.

_She wants to fight me bare knuckled? _I thought incredulously. _Not smart lady, not smart at all._

She swung at my face and naturally I moved, but not before she connected a cross and an uppercut.

_She's fast, _I realized, taking a step back to analyze her fighting method.

She was standing in the monk stance, so she fashioned her fighting style after that.

_I just need to see what she's going to do next so I can anticipate her plan of attack, _I thought.

She swung again, and this time I had her.

_Jab, jab, left cross, uppercut, right cross, back flip, _I thought, _that's what she's going to commence with if she starts with a right hook._

As if on command, she did as I had anticipated. When she saw I countered every attack I could tell she was getting frustrated. A frustrated fighter becomes a sloppy fighter. Every attack I had a counter for and when she tried to aim for my face, I caught her arm and twisted it behind her back.

"Ah!" she cried out in pain.

As if expecting it, she kneed my shin and set herself free. I fell to the ground and grabbed my leg, but not before pulling out my boomerang and aiming it at her feet. The triangulation caught her feet causing her to fall forward and bump her chin on a log. She could still move, but I knew the fall had impacted her severely. I got up and walked over to her slowly. I turned her over when I saw she landed face first on the log. I place my hands of her shoulders to keep her from moving.

My first thought was to choke her out and be done with it. Anyone who tried to kill the royal family was a traitor to the throne, but before I acted impulsively I wanted to know what was under that hood.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded in a low calm voice. "Why did you try to kill Zelda?"

The girl was breathing hard.

"I'm just a servant of the goddess like you master knight," she whispered to me sarcastically, then laughed a deep throaty laugh.

I felt my eyes widen slightly at the sound.

_Wait a minute…_ I thought, feeling my pulse palpitate, _I know that laugh._

"What?" I said to her confused.

_She can't be... _I thought, _she isn't…_

The girl grabbed my hands and put them at her throat.

"Choke me out you arrogant bitch," she whispered, "and then I want you to _come_ all over me."

I drew back a little her words.

_Don't be who I think you are, _I thought, _please don't be who I think you are._

"I'm not going to kill you until I know what you are hiding," I said angrily, then pulled off her hood.

When I looked into that beautiful face and saw that green hair flow, I felt my heart stop.

My breathing quickened.

_No! _I thought. _No goddamn it! No!_

"S-Saria?" I said shocked.

Saria stared back at me and grinned through her bloody mouth.

"Hello Link," she whispered to me seductively.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 13 is coming soon!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Inspiration: "Comfortable Liar" by Chevelle; and 'Black Cat' from _The Amazing Spiderman _comics (the character Felicia White underwent a transformation when a super serum was injected in her; think about the inspiration that way).**

**Original Shout Outs: Conner, and ****Zeldafan88.**

**New Shout Outs: Softball11chic, and sslamajama97 thanks for reading.**

**Author Note: I think this is a conversation most of you will enjoy, let me know what you think, thanks for reading. Also too, never play with a man's emotions it can be a scary thing lol. Also don't assume, don't ever assume. ~ZR~.**

**WARNING: This chapter has some course language. There is one 'F' bomb, if it offends you I apologize, however because of the intensity between the characters I felt it was necessary. I'm putting this up because a reader in the past stated they wished they were warned of the level of 'sentence enhancers' in this chapter lol. Well, there's the warning, please enjoy. ~ZR~.**

**Reedited 4/10/2012; ADDENDUM Reedited 2/4/2013**

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

After I got over the initial shock, I got up and released Saria from my grasp. I nearly stumbled over a log as I took several steps back, still not being able to believe what was happening.

_How the hell is this possible? _I wondered.

Saria stared back at me knowingly with her intense sky blue eyes, then stood up. She wiped her bloody mouth with the back of her hand, and just looked at me. She was waiting for me to respond, however, that was the problem. How in the hell was I supposed to respond?

_This can't be real! _I thought, feeling a rare sensation of panic.

"Link…" she said to me, but trailed.

I took another step back when she said my name again. I took the heavy helmet off my head and ran a gauntlet straddled hand through my sweaty hair, hoping that in some way would give me some clarity. It didn't. I was trying to keep my composure intact, but I didn't know how long that was going to last. I was completely blindsided with this. I _never _in a thousand years had any inkling that Saria was the killer I was looking for. The thought never even crossed my mind. How could it? I thought this woman was my friend... not just my friend, my _best _friend. However, now I knew she had played me the entire time. I looked away then back at her again, as the confusion within me gave way to anger. The more I stared at her, the more pissed off I became. It was then I noticed her slightly different countenance.

I gave her a long once over.

_That's why I was thrown off, _I thought, _she doesn't look like her normal self. She looks taller and stronger._

Saria's body looked hyper muscular, and her facial features were more extenuated. Her eyes were this deep intense blue, and her hair appeared to have a slight glow to it, like it was shining without the light of the sun. The skin tight platinum black body suit she was wearing was engimatic with the way it was designed. There were two sashes wrapped around her waist to fill out the natural indented curvature of her physique. It gave the illusion of a tapered elongated torso like a man's more than a woman's. I also noticed she was wearing a black breast plate that strapped her bosom back. She appeared flat chested in the past because of it, however, when I swooped her up on my horse it must've unsnapped because her breasts were protruding against the fabric the way they normally did. I didn't have an explanation for the added three inches to her height. That was strange to me. I looked her over long and hard with regards to the transformation, and knew it was from some metaphysical means.

_Zant?_ I wondered in anger. _Or something else?_

I still couldn't subside the stunned realization that she was the assassin.

_All this time... I was looking for her? _I thought in disbelief, then refused to accept that. _She can't be the killer! She can't!_

I wasn't sure if I was more angry at her identity, or the fact that I let the signs of who she really was pass me by. I prided myself on my instincts, and I couldn't have been that dense. I couldn't have been so beguiled with her that I let her play me like a damn fool. However, the circumstances were so perfectly illogical, what other explanation was there?

This didn't make any damn sense.

This didn't make any damn sense at all.

This... this _bitch _used me. I felt my fists ball at my sides as the anger swelled inside me. It had such a profound effect on me, and I knew it was because I was in love with her. I never let emotion take hold of me. I wasn't that kind of man, but this... this was on a whole different level of affect. It wasn't just another killer trying to clutch their way to power, this was a person I knew. A person I trusted, and cared about. A person I loved. I swallowed hard and had to look away from her again.

_I can't believe this, _I thought again.

I started introspectively regressing and channeling my memory. I was trying to figure out where I the hell I went wrong.

_How could I have been so blind? _I thought upset.

I began thinking back to all the subtleties of her behavior that I overlooked, and that was when I realized my failure. I chose not to notice them. The signs were there the entire time. The peculiarities and fake vulnerability she displayed regarding her 'so called' amnesia. The limp in her leg. The real reason she was so distant and didn't want to speak to me the day of the hunt. It explained her abilities, and why she knew how to fight so well. That was the real reason she knew how to mount a Gerudo _fucking_ stallion bareback with no prior training. That was why she was training to swim like she was getting ready for a competition against a goddamn Zora. That was the reason for everything: the flirting, why she befriended me, why- I had to stop myself before I exploded.

_Calm down Link, _I tried to tell myself, but I didn't see how that was going to happen.

It all made bloody sense now. She was a trained killer, and being a con was part of her DNA. I started analyzing everything that happened in my life since I met her, and it all began to take shape. This insanity suddenly had an M.O. I stared at her and had to prevent myself from shaking by balling and unballing my fists several times.

_I thought you were this mysterious, beautiful girl who came to Hyrule with no memory of your past. I thought you were setting up shop near the castle for a better life, but you weren't looking for a better life. You were staking out the area to find a convenient time to strike, and you found that opportunity during the hunt. It was public knowledge that the hunting of the royal elk was an annual affair for the royal family. Coincidentally, right around the same time you came to Hyrule, an assassin tried to murder the princess…_

I took in a deep unsettled breath.

_I saw that limp in your leg and thought nothing of it. I trusted you. I was so caught off guard with wanting to know who you really were, I just let that _little_ detail slide. __When I came back to see you after a two and a half month hiatus, there was a sudden change in your behavior. You were very friendly instead of coming at me with the standoffish persona you presented before, perhaps too friendly. I guess you had to regain my trust… and I fell for it. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker, like a fool… like a damn fool…_

I pursed my lips together and felt my stomach begin to knot. I honestly felt like I was going to be sick.

_Then there was the strange story of your falling in your shop and injuring her ankle. Deep down I never really believed that, but I had no reason to deduce anything otherwise, because I trusted you…_

I looked away from her frustratingly.

_And then there's your exemplary fighting skills… why did I overlook that? Seriously, why? I knew it wasn't normal for a woman of your supposed life standings to able to fight the way you do…_

Of course that didn't make sense, any idiot knew that.

_At the tavern you were called the 'dark maiden,' the bartender even named a drink after you. We were supposed to have been looking for clues about your past, about the king..._

I turned my attention back to her. Saria just stared right back. She was still waiting for me to react. Honestly, she didn't want a reaction from me right now. I couldn't promise what I would say or _do _in that moment.

_That night in my bedroom… you weren't some innocent girl trying to seduce me… that night didn't mean anything to you… not a damn thing..._

I balled my fists at my sides again.

_When you came to my cell that night in your assassin regalia I knew those blue eyes belonged to someone familiar, I ignored that too. The eyes I saw that night were the eyes of a murderer… they weren't the soft blue ones I had become accustomed to… _

I wanted to scoff at that thought, but I didn't.

So much for a simple goddamn life.

_You were toying with me in the cell that night… psychologically… emotionally… all of that sick enjoyment you seemed to have. And then… then you poisoned me. You knew I would come to you after you gave me your 'friendly' advice. You knew exactly how to cure me… that's how you knew about the purple chu jelly toxicity, you gave it to me..._

My mind took me back to the events of last week.

_You spied a blonde fellow alright. That's why when the guard came to arrest you, you weren't worried, it just made your access easier. __You were instructed to kill the princess, and that's what you were going to do no matter who you used or who you hurt... you were going to kill the princess..._

I took in another deep breath and came to an apt resolution just then.

_You aren't my Saria, my Saria would never do something like this. And if you really are her, then the girl I fell in love with is gone. There's no way I'll ever betray Hyrule, not even for my own selfish desires._

I stared intensely into Saria's eyes just then, and hated how treacherous my heart felt.

_But I wish… I wish I didn't love you, because this is hard… this is hard as hell. __Why? Damn it why? _For the first time in my life I am at a loss, I don't know what to do.__

Saria continued to stare at me when my thought process finally came to its fruition. She crossed her arms over her chest in a pretentious confident manner. I knew that air she was projecting was false. She had no intentions of being caught like this. I saw the uncomfortable nuance in her eyes. Even still, she tried to roll with her placate.

"Surprised?" she asked me in a quiet voice, finally breaking the silence.

I guess she felt that was the only thing appropriate to ask me.

_Surprised? _I repeated in my head in slight disgust. _Is she serious?_

I went through an array of emotions when she asked me that: confusion, resentment, and anger, but anger was the most incumbent.

"What the hell does this mean?" I demanded finally, ignoring her question. "Are you an enemy of Hyrule?"

Saria didn't answer right away. I think she was trying to gauge me. Oddly, she smirked at me and gave me a long once over.

"Is that the only thing you can think of right now Link?" she asked me quietly. "Hyrule?"

I felt my eyes widen.

_What the hell am I supposed to think? _I thought angrily.

"Answer my question Saria," I said to her carefully, trying to keep my temper in check.

She shrugged and stroked a hand through her hair.

"I understand you're-" she tried.

I was in no mood to be toyed with.

"Answer my damn question!" I interrupted heatedly.

Saria looked at me slightly stunned, and drew back a little at my tone. She stroked hair behind her ear, but instead of addressing my inquiry she decided to undermine the matter further. She shook her head and smirked again. That snide little smile of hers was starting to get under my skin.

_She thinks this is a game, _I thought.

"A soldier until the end, aren't you?" she segued, ignoring my outburst.

I stood there staring at her in absolute disbelief.

"Why are you after the princess?" I demanded, redirecting the subject.

Saria bit her bloody bottom lip nonchalantly.

"I'm not anymore," she said to me simply, "you stopped me, remember?"

I narrowed my eyes at her in anger. It was in that moment the little composure I had left me. It flared and died, along with the rest of my self control. I was trying to keep my anger at bay, but she was deliberately needling me for a reaction. She knew my emotions were involved, and she was trying to take advantage of that. I hated not being in control of my actions, but when I was pushed to the limit, my impulses overtook my better judgement.

_You've got the wrong man for this, _I thought.

"You said you would keep going after her!" I said in a raised voice, not being able to help myself. "You said there would be a second time or a third time or whatever!"

Saria cracked her knuckles abrasively while I spoke, and shrugged again as if the action was of no consequence.

"I lied," she replied simply, in a quiet voice.

I felt my breathing accelerate at that. She was trying to piss me off.

_Nothing, _I thought incredulous, _it's like she feels nothing!_

"You're good at that aren't you," I seethed, knowing I was letting my feelings get in the way of being objective. "Deceit is second nature to you, isn't it?"

Saria gave me a long hard look.

"I'm not the only one," she said to me with a cryptic undertone.

I shook my head at her, really not hearing anything she was saying.

"You spineless bitch!" I muttered to her quietly.

Saria was quiet when I said that, but oddly she smiled at my remark.

"You don't mean that," she replied, "you're just upset right now."

That was an understatement.

"You think this is a game?" I demanded. "You think that you're not going to pay for what you tried to do?"

Saria paused and shook her head at me.

"No," she said honestly, "I don't, but I know you better than that."

I scoffed at that.

"Don't make me laugh!" I replied. "You don't know me!" I said to her. "You are _not _the Saria I know!"

She stared at me for a moment.

"Yes," she said, "I am Link. I know you're disappointed, but things aren't always what they seem."

She took a step towards me just then.

_Oh no you don't, _I thought, _you're not going to beguile me again._

"Stay back," I warned.

Saria paused for a moment, but took another step forward anyway.

"Link-" she tried.

"Stay back!" I snapped forcefully. "I mean it! I'm still deciding if I should let you live or not!"

Saria stopped in her tracks after hearing that. She raised her eyebrows and sighed.

"Okay," she said simply, "I'll stay back."

I swallowed hard, trying to keep myself in check. I took another step back myself, as I struggled with what to do. I just threatened her, but I knew that was the last action in the world I wanted to take. However, if she was a true enemy of Hyrule, I was left with no choice, I was going to have to kill her.

_I don't want to have to do that, _I thought, _but my goddess, what the hell else can I do?_

"You've got me all wrong," she divulged suddenly, "it isn't what you think."

_I've got you all wrong? _I thought in disbelief.

"Shut up!" I replied. "Shut the hell up! You were trying to play games with me from the beginning! Nothing coming out of your goddamn mouth right now is going to make me believe you!"

Saria narrowed her eyes at me again and crossed her arms over her chest once more.

"Fine, so why don't you just kill me then?" Saria asked me casually. "You seem to already have your mind made up."

I felt my throat tighten at her words, and my pulse race at her taunt.

_She's testing me! _I thought angrily. _She really wants to do this right now!_

Saria narrowed her eyes at me in defiance just then.

"Or are you just a bunch of talk?" she derided.

I pursed my lips together in frustration and pulled out a knife I had secured in my belt. It was then I called her bluff and went up to her and grabbed her by the elbow. I pressed the blade forcefully against her neck, but didn't break her skin.

"I should," I seethed angrily, "I should cut your goddamn neck for deceiving me!"

I realized I was letting her see a raw vulnerable side of me that I didn't normally show. Saria stared straight into my eyes.

"Go on ahead," she whispered unafraid, "you'd be doing me a favor."

I stared back into her eyes, and pressed the blade tensely against her jugular vein. Saria continued to stare in my eyes, waiting to see if I was going to go through with it.

_I can't, _I thought, _I can't, and she knows that!_

"What are you stalling for?" she whispered to me. "Do it!"

I swallowed hard, hating myself for having feelings for her. It was actually her best weapon against me. She knew how I felt about her. I quickly removed the blade from her skin and grabbed hold of her shoulders in a rough manner.

"Why did you try to kill Zelda?" I demanded again.

Saria hesitated for a moment when she saw I wasn't going to make good on my threat. She even tried to reach up and caress my blood stained cheek, but I wasn't having any of that. I knew she was trying to use her feminine whiles, and given my history with her, I knew she could be successful. I pulled her close to me so her wrists were immobile and pressed against my chest. She grinned at me.

"I guess-" she tried.

"Cut the dragon shit, and answer my question!" I demanded. "I'm not playing with you!"

Saria could see in my eyes I was serious, and stiffened a little from my hold. She finally decided to stop gibing me and answer my question.

"Like I told you that night in your cell, I was ordered to," she replied quietly.

I stared into her eyes.

"By who?" I demanded.

She didn't answer, and drew back a little.

_What's she hiding? _I thought.

"By Zant?" I went on.

Saria turned her head and looked away.

"Look at me!" I said forcefully.

Saria jumped slightly at my tone, and slowly turned her face back to mine.

"Was it Zant that ordered the hit?" I demanded again.

Saria winced a little as my hold tightened.

"No," she replied finally.

"Then who?" I mandated.

Saria gave my face a quick once over.

"I can't tell you," she whispered to me.

I squeezed her arms tighter, and she cringed a little in pain. However, instead of giving in to it, she taunted me about.

"You're going to make me orgasm if you keep squeezing me like," she teased at the pain, "is that what you want white knight of Hyrule? You want to see me lose control?"

My grip tightened even more. I was angry she was trying to toy with me.

"Stop with the damn act!" I snapped.

Saria licked her bloody lips.

"Mmmm... but it's so much fun," she whispered to me, then stared at my mouth, "I'm not blushing anymore, am I?"

I was getting more and more frustrated by the minute.

"Are you an interloper?" I demanded abruptly, trying to stay focused.

Saria shrugged at the question.

"What if I was?" she detracted. "What are you going to do about it?"

I looked at her, wishing I didn't love her so much, because the thought of probably having to kill her crossed my mind again.

_If I don't do it, Daphnes will, _I thought.

"Are you an interloper?" I repeated.

Saria stared at me again for a long time before she finally answered.

"No Link, I'm not an interloper," she replied.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Then how the hell can you use magic?" I went on, looking her over. "Why do you look like… this?"

Saria narrowed her eyes back at me.

"If you let me go I'll show you," she said to me provocatively.

The request sounded almost sexual. I stared into her intense blue eyes for a moment, then slowly loosened my grip and let go. Saria stepped back and shook her arms for a moment so the normal circulation could return. Afterwards, she pulled out a small paring knife from her back pocket, raised it to the back of her neck, and made a slight incision at her nape.

_What in the-? _I thought, but cut my thoughts short.

I looked at her confused.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded.

She paused for a moment.

"Showing you why I look this way," she replied, but then added, "you did still want to know, didn't you?"

_She still thinks this is a game, _I thought upset, but decided to forego it for now.

"Yes," I replied.

Saria looked away from me for a moment.

"Then let me do what I have to do," she said to me simply.

I was still uncertain of what that was, but watched anyway as Saria cut a little deeper and dug into her skin. She went as deep as her dermis layer, and pulling out a small diamond shaped element. It was light golden brown and iridized a strange glow of green and tempered purple. When she released it from her body, her hyper toned muscular appearance and her piercing blue stare dissipated. She also shrank back down to her normal height of five feet seven inches. She looked like her normal self again. I didn't let it show, but I was relieved. I couldn't help it, no matter how angry I was, I still cared for her. My only wish now was for her to come clean about who hired her so we could try to get a hold of this misunderstanding. I knew I was contradicting my earlier thought process, and I knew my cares were laced with selfish intentions, but deep down I didn't believe she was doing this because she wanted to.

_Come on Sar, _I thought, _I need you to be honest with me._

"This strange amulet gives me extraordinary abilities," she said to me, holding up the bloody vestige, "I have no idea what it is, but it was given to me five years ago."

I looked at her surprised by the revelation.

_Five years ago? _I thought.

"What?" I demanded. "By whom? Who gave it to you?"

She was silent a long moment as blood flowed from the incision on her neck. I was trying to stay focused on what I was asking her, but found myself staring in concern at her. I didn't like that she did that to herself, and didn't understand why it was necessary. Even still, I pulled out a handkerchief from underneath the armor I was wearing and handed it to her.

"Clean that up," I muttered, avoiding her eyes.

Saria looked at my gesture surprised. She took the handkerchief in hesitation.

"So, chivalry _isn't _dead," she said to me quietly, "thank you."

I mumbled an inaudible 'you're welcome,' and moved on.

"Who implanted that amulet in you?" I asked again, redirecting the conversation.

Saria looked away from me again.

"I can't tell you," she replied.

I was getting sick of that answer.

"What the hell can you tell me?" I demanded, losing my composure once more. "You haven't shared one ounce of truth with me yet Saria!"

Saria swallowed hard, and got quiet for a little while. There was an expression of indecision on her face, as if she were doing some internal rationalization. A moment later, she took in a deep breath and looked like she made a resolve to divulge a few things. She really _had _to, the situation looked bad for her.

_I need something to go by Sar, _I thought, _all this hiding isn't going to do you any good._

"Alright," she said finally, "I _can _tell you the amulet was given to me so I could protect the people of Ordon."

I looked at her slightly confused.

_Wait a minute, what? _I thought.

"You were sent there as a guardian?" I asked.

Saria hesitated, but then nodded her reply.

"Then why are you a hired killer?" I demanded, not understanding the logic.

Saria was silent for a long time after I asked that. I wanted an answer to that question, so I wasn't going to let her slide with trying to be shifty.

_That is something I need to know, _I thought.

"Saria?" I went on, not letting up. "Why are you acting as an assassin if you're supposed to be protecting people?"

I was so tired of all these damn charades and being left in the dark. I wanted some answers, and I wanted them now. Saria stroked her hair again nervously.

"Because…" she trailed, then said, "I'm a spy, and the assassin act is part of the ruse."

I felt my eyes widen, and I looked at her shocked.

_That's one hell of an act, _I thought in disbelief.

"A spy?" I repeated.

Saria nodded.

"It's a part of my contract for becoming a Hylian," she divulged.

I shook my head not understanding any of this.

"What?" I replied incredulously. "A contract? What are you talking about?"

Saria took in a deep breath, and groaned in irritation.

"I told you some of my memories didn't make sense," she said quietly, more to herself than to me.

I thought I was about to ask another useless question, but was about to be surprised.

"Who are you spying for?" I asked.

Saria swallowed hard, and didn't meet my eyes.

"The king," she replied, her voice had a hint of fear.

I raised my eyebrows.

"The king is having you spy on Zant?" I asked.

Saria nodded and bit her bloody bottom lip.

"I shouldn't be telling you this," she confessed, "if he finds out, he _will_ kill me."

I looked at her confused. None of this was making any sense.

"Why would the king force you to use an unknown energy source without knowing what the full effects are?" I asked. "That doesn't sit well with me."

Saria smirked at my question and shook her head.

"You are so in the dark, aren't you?" she said, shaking her head.

I was annoyed by the comment.

"I wouldn't be if you'd just tell me what's going on!" I said in a slightly raised voice. "Why the hell-" I tried.

"I'm a pawn Link!" Saria interrupted me, looking into my eyes. "My whole life is a goddamn pawn! Why the hell should the king of Hyrule care about me?"

Her words were forceful, but there was a ring of truth in there that couldn't be denied. It made me think for a moment. We were all pawns really. The royal family's only true concern was the preservation of Hyrule, not the happiness of one servant. I never thought of it that way, and given everything that Saria just told me, I felt a little guilty for assuming the way I did earlier, and for treating her so harshly a few moments ago.

_You're not just a pawn, _I thought, _you're a person who deserves happiness._

Even still, I was still confused as to what was _really _going on. I wasn't sure which way was up or down now.

"What does Daphnes want you to find out about Zant?" I went on, recouping the conversation.

Saria shook her head.

"His majesty said Zant bore a terrible secret about Hyrule's past and events surrounding the Great War," she disclosed, "and it was my job to find out what that secret was. I was to report back to him immediately," she said.

From the way it sounded, it seemed as though Daphnes already knew what it was. Why would he send her out to do something so incredibly dangerous? And why _all _alone?

_Daphnes! _I thought angrily. _You and your damn secrets!_

Saria stared off into space absently for a moment.

"That's why the encroachment has begun," Saria said as if talking to herself.

I lowered one eyebrow puzzled when she said that.

"What?" I asked. "I don't understand."

Saria closed her eyes, then pulled the handkerchief away from her neck to see if the wound stopped bleeding.

_It looks like she's going to have to use some of her own needle work on herself, _I thought, seeing the depth of the incision.

"The encroachment is Zant's vengeance against the royal family," Saria said to me quietly.

I nodded.

"For the murder of his father," I continued.

Saria shook her head no when I said that. I looked at her puzzled.

"It's more than that," she whispered with a hint of fear, "his hatred is much deeper. I've been spending the last few years associating with him, so I know whatever it is that Zant is so obsessed with has consumed his mind. He lives and breathes vengeance. That's why I've been corresponding with the king via Faron Woods all this time. That's why his majesty kept Ordon off the typographic grid. The king didn't want anyone to know about the impending infiltration."

I looked at her surprised.

_The king knew about this years ago, and he's just now reacting? _I thought incredulously.

I looked at Saria concerned just then.

"Have you… have you been fighting the interlopers alone all this time?" I asked surprised. "There was no one helping you?"

Saria was quiet for a moment, then nodded.

I couldn't believe it... well, yes I could. This was Hyrule's royal family we were talking about.

_That bastard left her to fend off the interloper infiltration by herself? _I thought in disbelief.

"When I met Zant he knew I was a spy, but I convinced him I was no longer working for the king," she said, "I told him I would spy on the king for him. It took some time, but he finally believed me. I went back to Daphnes to tell him of my plans and he approved initially, but when I tried to correspond further, he broke off all contact with me. It turned out he had figured out a way to imprison the Twili without further need of my help. Daphnes never told me what that was."

I felt my eyes widen, and I got a little heated at hearing that.

_Daphnes used her, then tried to dissociate himself from her like she was expendable, _I thought_._

I looked at her with compassion just then.

"Is that why you came to Kakariko Village?" I asked.

Saria nodded and sighed.

"I needed to tell the king the threat of infiltration was about to take place," I said, "that's why when you all went hunting for the royal elk I followed you. I had to tell someone what Zant wanted to do."

I understood that, but I didn't understand her prey.

"But why target Zelda?" I asked.

Saria hesitated for a moment.

"I needed people to pay attention," she replied, but then added, "I wasn't going to kill her."

I swallowed hard when she divulged that, hardly able to stomach myself for my previous thoughts. Saria wasn't a crazed killer. She was a tool the king felt was a useless pawn in his game of chess against the interlopers.

_Now it's starting to make sense, _I thought.

"What about when we were in Ordon?" I asked suddenly. "Why did Zant act so casually when he saw I was with you?"

Saria raised her eyebrows and looked away.

"He knew you were in the dark about everything," she said, "he knew you didn't know I was working with him."

_That's _another _reason why she started the fights, _I realized, _she wanted to assure Zant that she could still be trusted. She has some pretty damn good perception._

"I see," was all I replied.

Saria pressed the handkerchief back on her neck when she saw the bleeding go from red and clear to just clear. While she was tending to that, I was pondering everything she was telling me seriously.

_This is all so convoluted, _I thought, _and it seems like one huge mess between the royal family and the Twili._

"What about the letters?" I asked abruptly. "Why did you send those?"

Saria looked up at me peculiarly at my inquiry.

"I only sent one," she replied, "and that was to the throne room."

_What? _I thought in alarm, but then realized she was right because the second one was sent while we were together.

Saria stroked a hand through her hair again.

"'I see you traitor,'" she mocked softly, then shook her head, "Zant told me to send that to the king."

I looked at her shocked.

_I thought it was to me, _I thought, _but of course it makes sense it's not to me._

"What?" I said.

Saria only nodded again.

"Why does Zant consider the king a traitor?" I asked.

Saria shook her head.

"I honestly don't know," she said softly, "I've been trying to find that out for years."

I took in a deep unsettling breath.

_Then... who sent that other letter? _I thought. _It had to be someone who knew the situation and wanted to send a cryptic message to me, but why?_

I ran a hand through my already disheveled hair and sighed. I couldn't believe everything that had transpired that day. While my attention was temporarily diverted, Saria took a step back to get away, then another. Soon, she turned around and tried to head in the opposite direction. I looked up when her back was fully facing me.

_You're not off the hook yet, _I thought.

"Where are you going?" I demanded, halting her.

Saria kept her back to me.

"Are you still thinking about killing me?" she asked as a twisted kind of joke.

I ignored it, not finding it funny at all. I took in a sigh and looked at her seriously.

"You still never told me who hired you to kill the princess," I detracted.

Saria turned around to face me, and gave me a hard look before rolling her eyes.

"That again, huh?" she replied upset.

"Yeah," I said to her, "that again."

Saria took in a deep frustrated breath.

"I wasn't hired to kill her," she divulged finally, cleverly avoiding my inquiry, "I was hired to make sure _you_ came after _me_. Why do you think I retreated once I saw you safely displace her?"

I felt my eyes widen inadvertently.

_Wait a minute... _I thought.

"What?" I replied surprised.

Saria just looked at me.

"The whole hit was orchestrated to get you reinstated," she said to me calmly, "it was never about killing the princess."

I felt my breath quicken.

I couldn't believe it.

_My goddess, this is insane! _I thought incredulously. _That crazy son of a bitch!_

"Daphnes," I said angrily, underneath my breath, "he orchestrated the hit on the princess."

Saria stared at me again and bit her lower lip.

"You didn't hear that from me," she said to me quietly.

"Why the hell would he put a hit on his own daughter?" I demanded angrily, talking more to myself.

Saria shook her head and shrugged.

"As I said before, strange times lead to strange bed fellows," she replied, "you must really be needed."

I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it.

I shook my head at a loss for words.

_Is there nothing Daphnes won't do? _I thought.

"That's why you kept insisting I should marry Zelda, you already knew about all this," I divulged suddenly, as if talking to myself. "You knew I would get my status back."

Saria sighed.

"That's not altogether true," she said to me, detracting the subject and tried to smile, "I just think you two look good together."

I looked at Saria surprised.

_What? _I thought perplexed.

"How can you even joke right now?" I demanded.

Saria looked at me thoughtfully, but in a sarcastic way.

"I just shot at the princess, brawled with you, and had my life threatened with a knife," she replied, "I think now is as good a time as any."

When she put it like that, I saw her point. Even still, I shook my head frustrated.

"You and I have both been used!" I said, ignoring her conjecture.

Saria looked at me and shook her head.

"That's life Link," she said simply, "that's just the way it is. People use people."

_She doesn't mean that, _I thought, _or... maybe she does. Is that what it was with us?_

I gave her a brief once over.

"Is that what you were doing with me?" I asked her all of a sudden. "Using me?"

She swallowed hard at my question and her eyes widened slightly.

"Not entirely," she replied honestly, and didn't look at me, "without you I wouldn't have gotten my memories back."

I raised both of my eyebrows.

"That wasn't part of the ruse?" I asked, wanting to know the truth. "You weren't pretending with that?"

Saria shook her head no.

"No," she said, "my memory was gone, that's the truth. You helped me get it back."

_I guess I assumed a bit there too, _I thought.

I was wrong about a great deal of things initially.

"Is that all you wanted me around for?" I asked.

Saria stroked her hair again.

"No," she replied, "I... you were the only real friend I had in Hyrule besides gramps," she said quietly, "you didn't want anything from me, and you genuinely cared," she paused for a moment, "when my memory came back, I knew once you found all this out everything would be different. That's why… that's why..."

Saria stopped herself and looked away from me.

I nodded, wanting her to go on, but she hesitated.

_Don't stop now, _I thought.

"That's why… what?" I asked expectantly.

Saria swallowed hard and looked at the ground.

"That's why I wanted you so badly that night in your bedroom," she divulged with her cheeks turning red, "I figured that was going to be my only opportunity to be with you like that. I knew I was wrong for trying to seduce you because you were getting married, but I couldn't help myself. I just... I just wanted to feel close to you, you know."

I wasn't expecting her to say that.

_Trust me Sar I know,_ I thought, _but__ that night wouldn't have been your only opportunity. Once this mess was resolved we would've had a whole lot more._

"I'm sorry about that," I verbalized, "I wanted you too, Saria," I confessed, "a part of me wishes we did."

She looked at me stunned, and fidgeted with her fingers nervously all of a sudden.

"That's how I really felt," she went on, "I-I wasn't pretending. I know you think I'm a liar and a fraud because of what I've done, but I… I sincerely cared about you... or _care_ about you I should say."

I was taken a little aback by her candidness suddenly. There were no gimmicks. No hyper sexual sadomasochistic references or jargon. There was just honesty. Pure, real honesty... and her blushing had returned, so I knew it was real. I decided I was going to be honest as well.

_She needs to know how I feel about her, _I thought, _she needs to know I'm in love with her._

"Saria-" I tried.

"Wait," she interrupted me, "I have something to tell you, if I don't say this now, I never will."

I took in a deep breath and waited. I felt nervous suddenly. Maybe she was going to be honest about her feelings for a change. Saria stroked her hair behind her ears again and took in a deep breath. When she was ready she finally spoke.

"Um…" she trailed nervously, but before she uttered anything, she looked past me and her eyes widened in panic, "oh no," she whispered.

I gave her a puzzled look.

"What?" I asked.

"Behind you," she said, taking a few steps back.

"What is it?" I asked, turning to see what had her attention, then saw first hand.

_Great, _I thought in irritation.

I turned back to her.

"The guard is coming to retrieve you," Saria replied, "I have to get out of here!"

Saria turned to leave, but I took hold of her hand.

"Where are you going to go?" I asked, worried about her safety.

Saria looked past me again.

"Ordon," she said quickly, "I have to report back to Zant."

I looked into her eyes, hating the fact she had to go back alone, but considering all she had told me, I knew she had no choice.

"Fine," I said, "be careful," I said to her, "now get out of here! I'll divert them."

Saria stared into my eyes for a moment, before turning around sprinting off into the Lost Woods. I stared after her making sure she was out of sight before I alerted the guards to where I was. It was about time I returned to Hyrule Castle anyway.

_I'm sure Daphnes and I will have plenty to talk about, _I thought, _plenty._

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 14 is coming soon!<strong>_  
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	14. Chapter 14

**Inspiration: The skeleton in "The Bottom of the Well" with the very cryptic message about the bloody history of the royal family.**

**Special Shout Out: iBayfully: who read both my stories in one sitting and left reviews for each chapter! Thank you man, you are amazing! Check out his story "The Legend of Zelda: When Heroes Rise".**

**Original Shout Outs: Kirichu48, ****Jackie, **Panterstar101 (thank you for reading; I will make a concerted effort to reduce the 'sentence enhancers' lol).****

**Author Note: 2/8/2013 This chapter was reedited to include Saria's POV. I found that it was necessary because her character has more interactions this time around than the initial edit.  
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**Reedited 4/10/2012, ADDENDUM reedited 2/9/2013.**

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><p>Chapter 14<p>

Saria's POV

I was breathing hard as I ran and jumped over the thickets and bushes of the Lost Woods. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to calm my racing heart. I felt my ears perk when I thought I heard some footsteps. I tensed and listened, but was relieved to find it was only a cuckoo plucking about the grass. I closed my eyes and rested my back against a nearby tree and slid to the ground.

_I can't believe how close that was, _I thought, wiping the scant perspiration from my brow, _I can't believe I got caught like that! _

However, in all honesty, I wasn't really surprised. It was _Link _that gave chase to me. That man possessed extraordinary abilities. Even when he was a child he exhibited a bulwark that was rare in the Kokiri. That's how I knew he was different. I knew he was special. He really lived up to his legendary status as the hero. Even still, given everything that's happened, I was surprised he let me go so readily. I was expecting a lot more from his reaction than what transpired. However, even with what was supplanted, his reaction was still forceful. I never saw him so angry before. He was never the type to call someone out of their name, but given the nature of my reveal I wasn't too surprised. It conjured such a chord within me, the feeling made me stare off into the woodlands to think for a moment.

_I honestly thought he was going to kill me, _I pondered, _he looked so upset and hurt._

I took in a deep sigh when I thought about my complicated relationship with the hero. I hated the fact that I had to be deceitful to Link all this time, but I had no choice. I had orders, and I had to obey them.

_That's the life you live when you're a slave, _I thought and sighed.

I glanced down at my hands just then, and thought back to the fight that previously took place. I just brawled with the greatest warrior in the land and lost. I don't know why, but the thought of that made me grin. In some strange way it made me think of when we were children. I knew it didn't make sense, but honestly many things in my life didn't make much sense. I had so much respect for Link and his life of service, and even though I was his opponent, I was glad I lost. I wanted to lose. I was tired of hiding behind that mask. I was tired of pretending that he was my enemy, when the reality was far different. I wiped my bloody mouth and swallowed hard. However, even with my life being hard, I couldn't complain.

_I asked for this, _I reminded myself, _I asked for this when I left the Sacred Realm to become a Hylian. _

I took in a deep breath at that thought.

_And I almost screwed up... _I let my mind trail at the encryption.

I couldn't believe I almost told him I loved him.

_Are you asking for a death wish? _I scolded myself.

I knew there was no way Link and I could ever be together, no matter how much I wished for it. I foolishly allowed myself that thing called hope when we spent all that time together at the laboratory. Those days were so wonderful, I almost felt like his wife.

_His wife... _I thought with a sad grin, and felt a rare set of tears fill my eyes, _that's all fiction and fantasy. That's the little girl in you hoping for something that can never be. _

Even still, when Link was staying with me I looked forward to him coming home at the end of the day, and us having supper together. I loved talking to him about anything and nothing. He was so serious, but so focused on what was important to him. I think that was what I admired most about him. Sure, I teased him about being such a sourpuss from time to time, but I respected him just the same. He was a wonderful man, with a big giving heart. It felt like old times in the forest. We had a real bond and trust.

_We promised each other an eternal friendship, _I thought, thinking back to when he saved me years ago and awakened me as a sage in the Forest Temple, _I told him that I would always be his friend... and I will be._

I felt my heart flutter for a moment when I thought about when he kissed me of his own accord that evening in the laboratory. I didn't initiate it, _he _did. He... wanted me, and he showed it. When I was a Kokiri, I had no real concept of Hylian love. When I realized I felt something deeper than friendship for my best friend all those years ago, I knew there was a change in me. Maybe it was the sage-ship procuring me to my differentiation. It had to have been something, because even when I was in the Sacred Realm my feelings for him never wavered. In fact, they only grew stronger.

_Link... _I thought with a grin.

My cheeks blushed at the thought of his words and the closeness of his touch. He was so loving and passionate in that regard. I almost wish I didn't care about the negative outcomes of my actions and made love with him anyway. However, I knew that wasn't possible. Something verbally would've... _slipped_ on his end, and disaster would've followed.

_You have to be practical Saria, _I told myself, _there's no way two people can engage in that kind of activity and keep their feelings to themselves. _However, after I contemplated that further, I had to renege that, forgetting that every couple was different. _Well... maybe I'm wrong, but it's better to be safe than sorry._

That was why I felt so incredibly guilty when Link realized I was the person he was searching for. He looked so confused, so... angry just now, and I knew it was because of his feelings. He felt betrayed, and I knew it was hard for him to give his trust to anyone.

_I'm so sorry Link, _I thought, wiping another set of tears from my cheeks.

I sighed again and rested my head against the bark. Even though all this introspection was good for me, I knew I couldn't sit there and reflect forever. I had objectives to meet. I wiped my eyes again and refocused on what I was supposed to be doing.

_Ordon Saria, _I told myself, _you have to get back to Ordon. _

I took in a deep breath and stood up from my resting place.

_That bastard is waiting for you, _I thought.

I looked around once more, and finally decided it was time to leave.

_Reflection time is over_, I thought, _I have to get back to work._

~SSS~

Link's POV

I turned around and interlocked my hands behind my head. When the guards reached me, they had their swords drawn, but did not initiate a fighting formation. The head guard scanned the woods before addressing me.

"Where's the killer?" he asked finally.

I didn't hesitate.

"He got away," I lied quietly.

I wanted to make sure Saria had enough time to at least have a sizable head start if they decided to pursue her further.

_Please be safe out there, _I thought, not being able to not be worried about her.

"Which direction did he head?" the guard continued.

I nodded towards the forest.

"Deeper into the maze of the Lost Woods," I replied, "I don't know about you gentlemen, but I do not want to become a Stalfos today. I halted my pursuit when the killer entered the labyrinth."

The guard looked at me upset when I revealed that to him. He then turned his sword towards me.

"The king demands an audience with you," he said to me suddenly.

_Of course he does, _I thought, not at all surprised.

The guard then came up to me and shackled my hands in a bond. I didn't resist, I knew this was protocol, and after everything Saria had told me I was interested to see how this would play out.

_I'm about to find out if you're a liar and a fraud as much as you claim you are Saria, _I thought.

A few moments later, I was escorted back to the castle with the guard. I didn't let it show, but I let out a sigh or relief. I was glad we were going in the opposite direction of Saria. I knew if she got caught she would be killed.

_Keep running Sar, and don't look back, _I thought.

I kept my face staid and stayed focused on what was about to take place. There were still some things I was immensely confused about. For instance, I still didn't have a clear explanation as to why Saria was disappearing. I knew she said it was in part because I was helping her, but I wasn't satisfied with that. There was something else behind why she was disappearing, and I was going to find out what that was.

_There is more to it than that, _I thought, _there has to be._

And then there was Daphnes.

Daphnes had so many strings in his web of lies. He had some major explaining to do. Why did he make being a spy as part of Saria's contract? Why was Daphnes so desperate to find out the secret Zant was hiding? And what was the secret? Why did he need me so badly if he just made a royal decree to have me beheaded? These were the questions I needed answers to. There was too much going on for all the jargon I knew Daphnes would try and feed me.

No.

Daphnes was going to come clean, and he was going to come clean today. While I thought about all this, I arrived with my escort at Hyrule Castle Town to a large crowd. Many of the onlookers had open remorse on their faces for me. I was surprised considering the recent events. I kept my pan of vision tunnel. However, a moment later, I was surprised when one of the town's people initiated applause.

Seriously.

Soon, everyone joined in, even some of my escort. Admittedly, I couldn't believe it. After living on the lam, and my fall from grace, I hadn't expected an ovation of any kind. To be honest I didn't want it, but being the hero and given the people's fickleness, I knew I shouldn't have expected otherwise. Anyway, I was led to the castle and escorted down the hall to the throne room. Once inside I was unshackled.

_What's going to happen now? _I wondered.

Zelda's eyes widened in relief when she saw me. She was sitting on her throne initially, but at my arrival she ran up to me and immediately and hugged me in a tight embrace. I couldn't help but grin at her grateful attitude. It would've been devastating if Hyrule lost its princess. I glanced over at the king regarding his daughter's actions, he merely nodded. He seemed to approve of the action.

_It seems you were right so far Saria, _I thought, feeling a surge of relief.

I hesitantly hugged Zelda back. I knew she was worried about me, and I didn't want to be cold to her. She looked up at me and caressed my blood stained cheek.

"Thank you so much," she said softly.

I tried to smile at her.

"You're welcome princess," I replied.

Daphnes raised one of his hands for my escort to leave. The men that led me to the castle quickly turned at the signal and marched out. Zelda released me from her hold and went and sat back down on her throne beside her father.

"I cannot thank you enough Link," Daphnes began humbly.

I took in a deep breath and swallowed hard.

_This is not going to be easy for me to listen too, _I thought, _not after everything Saria told me._

"My daughter is the most precious treasure in my entire kingdom," he went on, "if she had died today I don't know what I would have done."

I didn't say anything for a moment. I just stared at him in hidden disbelief.

_You bastard, _I thought, _you set the whole damn fiasco up, and now you want to act as if you had no part of it?_

Even with my thoughts being so eviserated, I couldn't let my actions be the same way.

"It was… it was my duty sire," I replied, having to keep my feelings in check, "fugitive or not, I couldn't let anything happen to the first daughter of the kingdom. The princess is Hyrule's greatest treasure."

Zelda smiled when I said that, and tears filled her eyes.

"Link..." she whispered.

Daphnes looked over at her when he heard her loving inflection.

"Father," she said quietly, turning to look at the king, "may I interject for a moment?"

Daphnes merely nodded.

"Of course," he replied to her.

Zelda then turned her attention back to me. She clasped her hands together and looked at me eagerly.

"I wanted to tell you the wonderful news myself," she began.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at her puzzled, but then soon understood what she meant.

_My inevitable reinstatement of the knighthood, _I thought.

"What news your highness?" I asked, already knowing.

Zelda wiped her eyes and smiled again.

"I, Zelda, as princess of Hyrule, hereby grant you, Link the Hero of Time, all your rites and privileges back," she said to me, "your rank as first knight is reinstated, but with an added bonus as regent of Hyrule."

_What the hell? _I thought all of a sudden.

I felt my eyes widen at the latter news. I wasn't expecting the regency. I only thought they were going to offer me the restitution of my former position and that would be the end of it.

_This isn't supposed to happen this way, _I thought.

"Regent of Hyrule?" I repeated surprised.

Zelda's smile widened and she nodded.

"You will be second only to the king," she went on, "your new rank even surpasses mine now."

There was a brief silence between all of us, as the shock was still setting in.

_Regent of Hyrule? _I thought in disbelief. _I wasn't expecting this. I knew I was getting my title as first knight back, but the regency?_

"Your majesty, your highness," I began, still dumbfounded, "I cannot take such an honor."

Zelda smiled at me warmly.

"That's why you must take it," she said to me softly, "you haven't an ounce of carnal ambition in your body."

I looked at Zelda taken aback.

"The rank of first knight I can understand," I replied, "but an older, wiser counselor would be better suited for regent."

Daphnes even smiled at me

Seriously.

I wasn't not kidding.

The king smiled at me.

_Will the wonders ever cease? _I thought.

"I will not accept no for answer," he insisted, "after what you've proven today, there is no greater man in my entire kingdom."

I looked over at Daphnes and tried to conceal my apt cynicism for him.

_How can he be so nonchalant about everything? _I wondered upset. _He just tried to kill his daughter!_

After knowing what he had done to Saria, and the apparent disregard he had for his own daughter's life, I wanted no part of his scheming. However, I knew I still needed to get answers to my questions.

_I have to hold my tongue, _I thought.

"May I have some time to think about it sire?" I asked, trying to detract and buy time.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes slightly, but then widened them to their normal epicanthic fold when his thoughts came to fruition.

"You may think about it now," he said to me perceptively, "the offer is revoked once you leave this room."

Zelda looked over at her father surprised.

"Father…" she trailed worried.

Daphnes raised a hand to silence her and kept his attention on me.

"Well, sir knight?" he inquired of me.

I swallowed hard, realizing at the moment I had no choice. I needed to get back into Daphnes' good graces, or at least his civility.

_Play his game Link, _I told myself, _you need to be patient, you've been irrational lately and it's gotten you nowhere._

"Well," I began, "if that is his majesty's desire, then I have no choice but to humbly accept your offer."

Daphnes was quiet for a moment, but then smirked at me, a snide, slick smirk. I couldn't let him get under my skin, but he was making that very hard. Daphnes was beginning to get to me with his blatant arrogance.

_I'd like to wipe that smirk off your face, _I thought honestly.

"You've made the right choice," he said to me.

_Right, _I thought in sarcasm.

I smirked back at him and I sensed a crack in my veneer.

"Of course," was all I replied.

I looked over at Zelda and tried to smile at her. She still looked worried, but she smiled back. Daphnes then turned his attention back to his daughter.

"So, it seems you can commence with the engagement party my dear," he said abruptly to Zelda.

Zelda looked over at her father and blushed. I found it uncomfortable he put us on the spot that way.

_You always have to be in control, don't you sire? _I thought.

Zelda then looked back over at me. I took in a deep irritated breath.

"The princess and I will discuss that privately your majesty," I divulged, "there are other things to consider at the moment."

Daphnes and Zelda both looked at me stunned.

"I…" Zelda trailed, but then divulged, "I never cancelled the engagement party or the wedding Link."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"What?" I said, taken aback.

Zelda stroked her hair nervously.

"I knew Hylia would find a way to bring us back together," she said softly, detracting the subject, "and… and when you saved my life today, I knew that was it. That was the sign Link."

I felt my heart accelerate, because speaking to Zelda about our future together in this manner was something I wanted to avoid. When this madness was all over with regards to Zant, I was going to be with Saria if she would have me.

_I can't marry you Zelda, _I thought, _I don't deserve you. You deserve someone who wants what you want._

I kept my thoughts to myself however, and merely nodded at Zelda's words. I felt guilty because she smiled at me.

"Is it okay that we keep the engagement party next month?" she asked me.

I could tell she was nervous and hopeful.

_I should just be honest with her, _I thought.

I just nodded, not really having a reply, but her face lit up.

"Wonderful!" she said with apt happiness.

_She's going to hate me when everything is said and done, _I thought, feeling guilty. _Why didn't I say anything just now?_

Daphnes looked from his daughter and me in approval. This situation was getting more and more complicated by the minute. Zelda then got up and bowed towards her father. She looked excited.

"You must excuse me your majesty," she said to Daphnes, unable to contain the smile on her face, "I have many things to do before the party."

Zelda then turned to me and bowed.

"I'm so glad everything turned out the way that it has Link," she said to me happily.

I swallowed hard, hating myself for being deceitful to her.

"So am I princess," I replied.

There was a sudden flood of emotions that overcame Zelda, and her eyes filled with tears again. Zelda came down the steps of her throne and stood in front of me once more. She stared into my eyes for a long moment, before reaching up and kissing me right in front of her father.

_This can't be good, _I thought.

Inadvertently, I felt my eyes avert to Daphnes' direction.

_This is awkward, _I thought at the sight of him watching us.

Zelda pulled away and caressed my cheek.

"I love you so much," she whispered.

I hesitated when I felt my heart pound anxiously. I glanced over at her father again. He was studying the interaction closely with a raised brow. I was frustrated with that.

_Can't you turn away for one bloody moment Daphnes? _I wondered.

"I…" I trailed cautiously, "I care for you too, very deeply princess."

She looked at me for a long moment again, slightly disappointed that I didn't say her exact words back, but she misrepresented my hesitation as just being a man embarrassed to utter such words in her father's presence. Zelda grinned at me and caressed my bloody cheek again.

"I can't wait to be your wife," she said to me softly.

The remorse I felt was beginning to surge.

_You won't be my wife, my lady, _I thought.

"I know," I replied.

Zelda's grin widened to a smile.

"I told you I'd make amends," she whispered to me suddenly.

I looked at her strange for a moment, not understanding what she meant.

_She must be talking about the regency, _I thought, guessing her rationale.

"Yes, you did," I replied back.

Zelda stared deeply into my eyes again for a long moment, then took her leave. I turned and watched her go, and bowed when she turned and looked at me once more.

_She really loves me, _I thought, feeling guilty for not precipitating the same feeling.

I turned back to Daphnes who, for some odd reason, had his eyes slightly narrowed at me.

_What's this all about? _I wondered.

"Sire?" I inquired of his stare.

Daphnes gave me a long once over and didn't answer right away.

"You should never be afraid to tell the woman you love you love her, sir knight," he said to me suspiciously.

_I'm not, _I thought.

"Of course your majesty," I replied, "I just thought at the time the reply I gave her was more appropriate."

He stared at me with open cynicism for a moment.

"Right," he replied finally.

There was another brief silence between us.

_He's gauging my behavior, _I thought, _he wants to know if I've been rattled by today's events at all._

Daphnes took in a deep contemplating breath before he spoke again.

"I realize our last encounter was not the most civil," Daphnes said to me, redirecting the conversation, "there were many things you desired to know. At the time I was not at liberty to share them with you. However, after these recent turn of events I believe I can trust you implicitly. Admittedly, there are some things I am still hesitant to reveal."

_Oh really? _I thought, wishing he would stop with all the segues.

I tried not to let the contrition I felt for him show in my face.

"Of course your majesty," I replied, "these are dangerous times."

I had to play Daphnes' game in order to get the answers to my questions. Even still, Daphnes gave me another long once over before he spoke.

"What would you like to know?" he asked me.

I swallowed hard, remembering the need to be thorough.

_Don't do what you did last time Link, _I reminded myself.

"I know it is your duty to swear secrecy and you must protect the royal family," I began, "but sire I must know, why did you seek counsel with the Deku Tree?"

Daphnes stared at me for a long time before replying.

"The Deku Tree is a great spiritual ancestor of Hyrule," he said to me, "it is only fitting I seek counsel with one of the guardians of Hyrule."

That was all well and good, but I knew there was more to it than that. I waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"Well…" I trailed, trying to figure out how to ask my obvious question, "what did you discuss sire?"

Daphnes raised an eyebrow at me.

"If you must know I discussed the safety of Hyrule with it," he replied vaguely.

_This is ridiculous, _I thought aggravated, _this is going nowhere._

"Could you explain to me why such measures are necessary?" I asked, trying to stay respectful.

Daphnes scoffed lightly and chuckled in indignation.

"I will tell you why," he replied, "just not right now."

I felt my eyes narrow slightly.

_That… that is his answer? _I wondered in disbelief.

I didn't let it show, but I was getting increasingly irritated by his evasiveness. However, I only nodded in agreement. Daphnes gave me an offhanded stare for a moment. I think he was trying to anticipate where I was going to go with this conversation.

"What's your next question sir?" he asked me, wanting to change the subject.

Realizing I didn't have much of a choice, I changed the subject and asked another question.

"Fair enough sire," I said, deciding all I could do was play along, "why does Zant have such an extreme hatred for the royal family?"

Again Daphnes was hesitant, but I sensed more indignation by the directness of the question.

"So..." he trailed, "you _know_ about him?" he detracted cryptically.

_What's this about? _I wondered.

I nodded.

"Yes, I do," I replied.

Daphnes paused again.

"I can't say for a certain why he hates the royal family," he replied, "I'm having that investigated."

I didn't flinch after hearing that.

_By Saria, _I thought.

"By whom your majesty?" I asked, pretending ignorance.

Daphnes looked at me suspiciously just then. He was quiet for a moment.

"Why do you ask?" he inquired.

I had to think quickly.

_Be convincing, _I told myself.

"I was your commander of the army and knew of all the differentiated factions," I explained, "I wasn't aware of any secret assignment given to an unknown task force."

Daphnes narrowed his eyes and then smirked snidely.

"That is the privilege of being king," he said to me simply, "you don't have to let your subordinates know everything that is going on."

_Is that right, you insolent…_ I thought, letting my mind trail.

I knew the comment was a direct jab at me, but I didn't let it deter me.

"I see," I replied.

However, I saw an uncomfortable shift in his weight.

_What's this? _I thought.

"What's your next inquiry soldier?" Daphnes asked.

I could hear residual contempt in his voice.

_I must have gotten under his skin, _I thought.

"Why was the territory of Ordon kept such a secret?" I went on.

Daphnes stared at me for a moment.

"You _do_ know about that place too, don't you?" he said more to himself than to me.

I grinned at him.

_He's probably wondering how the hell I found it, _I thought.

"Ordon is a hub or erroneous activity," he said carefully, "I was having it monitored before I deemed it safe for residents to live there."

_That's a load of crap and you know it, _I thought.

"By your secret task force no doubt?" I replied in a snide undertone.

Daphnes looked at me upset, he caught the inflection in my voice.

"Yes," he replied.

_I'm going to call you out you bastard, _I thought.

"But sire, there are already citizens living in Ordon," I divulged the information he already knew, "it seems _whoever _you had investigate the territory inadvertently forgot to make you aware of that."

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me again. I could tell he was getting sick of my game of cat and mouse.

"I wasn't aware that you traveled there," he said to me, mildly stunned, "I was under the impression you were _told_ of this place only."

I tried not to scoff.

_You're telling on yourself Daphnes, _I thought knowingly.

"No," was all I said in reply, "I wasn't _told _anything."

Daphnes stared me down hard just then, and there was an intermittent silence.

_He's trying to evade, _I thought.

"Why did you travel there?" he asked me finally.

I made light of the inquiry.

"I went there to investigate the Interloper incident," I replied, "I actually fell upon it by accident."

Daphnes looked away from me when I revealed that.

"Yes," he replied in absence, but then added, "you went with that woman, didn't you?"

I was surprised he was so forthright with his thoughts.

_Maybe he doesn't care that I know, _I pondered.

"What woman?" I asked, pretending ignorance just to get a reaction.

Daphnes turned back to me and grunted in irritation.

"Don't play with me boy!" he snapped. "You know I'm speaking about your little seamstress friend who got the purple chu jelly toxicity! She was also arrested by aiding you as a fugitive!"

_She's also a spy for you, _I thought upset, not letting my feelings show, _and you know damn well she isn't in prison any longer._

I nodded in line with what he said.

"Oh," I replied sardonically, "right, that young woman. You have a stellar memory sire."

Daphnes stared at me angrily at my sarcastic tone.

I merely smirked. I decided I was going to raise the stakes.

"How's she holding up in prison?" I detracted, knowingly. "Is she doing well? Did you punish her severely for helping me?"

Daphnes narrowed his eyes again.

"Watch yourself sir knight," he warned, ignoring the question.

_No Daphnes, _I thought, _you need to watch yourself._

I really wanted to curse him for his insolence, but kept my temper in check.

"What's your next inquiry?" he demanded, quick to change the subject.

I paused for a moment, pondering my next question carefully.

_I have to redirect the conversation in such a way that it leads to less tension, _I thought, _if I don't Daphnes will clam up on me._

"When I came in contact with Zant, I noticed he controlled an environmental mechanism called the twilight," I began carefully. "That light casts various effects on Hylians, however I noticed Zant could intercept the light of both dimensions easily. Why is that?"

Again, staying true to form, Daphnes was tentative.

There was a long thoughtful silence between us.

_Answer the question Daphnes, _I demanded in my head.

"The blood of the Twili allows them to cross over into our world without the threat of transformation," he divulged finally, "however, when a Hylian crosses over into the twilight light realm the nature of who they really are is displayed. For the most part when a Hylian crosses over they change into a teardrop of light. It is very rare for a Hylian to transform into something other than a teardrop of light."

My eyes widened in surprise. I couldn't help it, I was shocked.

_My transformation must be heavily influenced by the Triforce of Courage, _I thought incredulously.

"What's the matter?" Daphnes asked, catching my expression.

I swallowed hard and looked away from him.

_Should I tell him about _my _transformation? _I wondered.

"Have you…" he trailed, "have you experienced such a metamorphosis Link?"

I looked to the ground, still unsure if I should answer him.

_I don't trust you Daphnes… _I thought, _I don't trust as far as I can see you,_ _but really,__ what choice do I have? He may be able to tell me something that I'm not aware of._

"I had an encounter with Zant in the forest not too long ago and I transformed into a wolf," I confessed, realizing there was no real reason not to.

Daphnes eyes widened at my confession.

"You did?" he asked in minor disbelief.

I gauged his reaction.

_It seems Zelda was true to her word in not telling her father, _I thought.

"Yes, I did," I replied.

Daphnes turned away from me and took in a deep troubled breath.

"Then it's true," he whispered to himself cryptically.

I looked at him strange just then.

_What's true? _I wondered.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Sire?" I asked perplexed.

Daphnes didn't answer me, instead he held up his hand signifying my dismissal.

"You may leave," he said to me.

_What? _I thought in surprise.

I tried not to let my annoyance show, but Daphnes was really leaving me no choice.

"Sire, I need to know what your last statement meant," I said, unsatisfied with the general course of this conversation, "if I am to be useful in your service I mustn't be left in the dark."

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me again.

"I said you may go soldier," he repeated.

I stared at him and felt my anger simmer, and realized if I wanted to know what was really going on I would have to investigate on my own once more.

_It isn't like he told me anything that I didn't already know anyway, _I thought, _I'll have to figure this one out on my own, and I think Ordon is the place to start._

I bowed, then turned from Daphnes' presence. Before I left however, he stopped me.

"By the way," he said suddenly, "when you apprehended Zelda's killer, did you happen to see the assassin's identity?" he asked me, stopping me in my tracks.

I turned back around and looked at Daphnes with a closed suspicion.

_Is that a threat?_ I wondered at the indirect sublimation. _Is he trying to say he'll harm Saria if I pursue this further?_

"The identity of the killer sire?" I inquired with evasiveness.

He paused for a moment before he answered.

"Yes," he replied.

_Why do you want to know that I wonder? _I thought in sarcasm.

"Unfortunately, the killer got away," I replied, "I wasn't able to find out _his_ identity."

Daphnes stared me down hard.

"Oh really?" he replied with open distrust. "So, you know for a certain it was a man?"

_You're telling on yourself some more sire, _I thought, _you just want to be an open book today, don't you?_

"Yes," I replied, "really, I could tell by the man's build."

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me again and didn't reply. I knew he didn't believe me, and honestly, I didn't care. If he wanted to give me the runaround, I could do the same for him.

_It's not a nice place to be, is it Daphnes? _I thought, and decided to goad the tension further.

"Maybe you can send out your special task force to get the results you seek," I said, knowing at this point I should have kept my mouth closed, "perhaps the killer is someone unorthodox and a person we don't expect."

The king narrowed his eyes at me just then.

"You insolent son of a bitch," he muttered to me.

I just grinned at his utterance.

_I must've really rattled him with that one, _I thought.

At that, Daphnes got up from his throne and came down the stairs to stand in front of me. He grabbed hold of the collar of my tunic beneath my stolen armor and stared straight into my eyes.

"If my daughter didn't love you so much, and if you weren't... _necessary_, you and I would have a reckoning sir knight," he said to me angrily.

My grin widened snidely and I stared right back.

"Maybe we still could your majesty," I said boldly, "we can say it's practice for when I fight Zant."

That did it for Daphnes, he punched me square across my jaw after my utterance. I explained before that his fifty-two years of age was deceiving, he still had one hell of a right cross. I shook the pain off when he let me go. I bit at my now bloody lip and stared at Daphnes angrily.

_You can only do that to me because you're king, _I thought.

"Get out," he said to me quietly.

I wiped the side of my mouth with the back of my hand, then bowed in a sarcastic gesticulation.

"Always a pleasure sire," I said with mordance, then took my leave.

I guess I was going to have to wait a little longer.

_It looks like Daphnes didn't come clean after all, _I thought as I walked out of the castle.

~SSS~

I tried to keep a low profile, but I knew that was useless. It seemed like everyone in the kingdom was gathered in the square. I headed for my villa in Castle Town, and was greeted with another wave of applause. I paused for a moment and looked at the grateful town's people.

"I knew you'd do the right thing!" exclaimed the burly bazaar owner.

I looked over at him with hidden disbelief and smirked.

_Did you now? _I thought. _It can't be helped, Hylians are fickle creatures._

"Three cheers for the savior of the princess!" another young man said in adulation.

"Hip hip hooray!" the crowd exclaimed.

I was taken aback and a little embarrassed.

_I wanted to avoid any undue attention to myself, _I thought, _that's what his majesty wants. He wants me to succumb to the pressure._

"Hip hip hooray!" the crowd extolled again.

I took in a deep breath and forced a smile.

"Hip hip hooray!" the crowd said with finality.

After it was all over I merely bowed, and the crowd broke out into a thunderous ovation.

_This is going to be tough, _I thought, suddenly becoming aware I was digging a deeper hole for myself than even I had realized.

"Congratulations on your reinstatement and your new official station as regent of Hyrule!" a guard said to me abruptly.

I looked at the guard stunned.

_I just got reinstated, _I thought, _how does _everyone_ know about the regency and the knighthood already?_

"Thank you," I replied, not knowing what else to say.

"I always _knew_ you had the princess's best interest at heart," said the woman from Kakiriko Village. It seemed she had a change of heart from when I last saw her.

I raised my eyebrows at her, a little surprised at her lack of amnesia.

_I guess now that I'm back in good graces, my 'treacherous' actions don't matter, _I thought.

"Thank you madam," I replied.

The praises didn't cease all the way to my villa. When I got home I took in a deep sigh behind my closed door.

_Where is this all leading to? _I asked myself.

"I need to get to Ordon," I said to myself, "the only way I'm going to get answers to my questions is by asking them from the source, Zant."

My thoughts suddenly shifted to Saria.

_I hope you're okay, _I thought, understanding the gravity of the danger she was under, _if Zant suspects a thing he'll kill her without hesitation._

"I can't let that happen," I said aloud to myself, "she's already been through enough as it is."

With these thoughts in mind, I washed up and changed my clothes. I was going to head out to Ordon with or without a decree from his majesty, but before I could step foot out my door, I heard an urgent pounding. I opened the door to see what the ruckus was about, and came face to face with the vigilant postman.

"Mr. Link!" he exclaimed, even though he was staring me straight in the face. "You've got mail!"

The postman then handed me the message and ran off to continue his route. I closed my door again and opened the letter. I raised my eyebrows in surprise at the contents.

_What in the...? _I pondered.

The letter read:

Hello Hero of Time:

I know you are acquainted with a certain young woman who was staying

at my home. Please visit me at your earliest convenience. I have important

information to share with you.

Sincerely,

Your Friendly Seaside Laboratory Ophthalmologist

I looked at the letter inquiringly, wondering what the old man could possibly know about what was going on. I had no idea that he actually knew Saria.

_I guess there's only one way to find out,_ I thought.

I needed to head to Lake Hylia.

* * *

><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 15 will be out soon, and yes I'm aware this was a filler chapter lol. It was like that in the first edit too.<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Inspirations: Saito Haijme, Gatotsu fighting style, the code of "aku soku zan" (swift death to evil), Petrine from "Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance," (only when Saria is in 'character' lol), "Twilight Princess," and green M&M's (I was eating a pack when I wrote this lol).**

**Original Shout Out: MegaDarkness thank you for reading.**

**New Shout Out: AVID Reader, thanks for reading, sorry I missed you last chapter.**

**Author Note: Seismic activity is on the horizon. Chapters 15-19 are some of my personal favorites. I hope you all like them too! This chapter was reedited to add Saria's POV. Given the nature of this chapter, I felt it was necessary. Thank you for reading.**

**Reedited 4/10/2012 ADDENDUM Reedited 2/13/2013**

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

Saria's POV: Later The Same Day

When I got to Ordon, I paused for a moment before going in. I had to make sure I was composed before I went to see Zant. If he saw a break in my veneer, then he would know something was up.

_Just remember your role, _I told myself, taking in a deep breath, _you'll be okay if you remember your role. _

I closed my eyes and reassured myself again, then walked to the tavern in the back. Before I walked in I checked my appearance. I splash a little water on my face in the creek near the entrance, and undid the top two buttons of my outfit so my cleavage was more prominent. One thing I knew about males in general since becoming a Hylian, was that they loved the female anatomy. I stroked my hands through my green hair, cleaned my lips so the blood flow was more controlled, and made sure the tear stains on my cheeks were gone. I couldn't show any signs of weakness. If Zant was still going to see me as a viable asset, I needed to appear confident.

_I'll have to be convincing, _I thought, _everything I tell him has to correlate with his own timeline. He wasn't aware of the hit on Zelda. _

I pursed my lips together in the hope of making them look smaller with no such luck. There was nothing I could do about the swelling. I was just going to have to roll with it. I would have to think of some clever segue regarding the scuffle.

_Alright, _I thought, _I can't delay anymore. _

I stood up and took one more last look at my reflection.

_You know what you have to do, _I thought, staring hard at myself.

I then turned and went inside the tavern. When I entered, all eyes suddenly turned to me and a hush came about the room. I noticed immediately the bar was unusually crowded with patrons that day. I raised an eyebrow knowing something was amiss, but didn't make my inquiry known. I walked to the back of the bar where the bartender was, flirting with a few of the guys in the process with my eyes, and sat down. The bartender looked at me in surprise.

"Thank the goddess," he whispered so that he wouldn't get the others attention, however I think it was too late for that, "I thought ye were dead."

I grinned at him seductively and winked.

"Not yet," I said, then looked beyond him to the ale dispenser, "get me a pint."

The bartender gave me an odd look, but nodded anyway. He was probably wondering what happened to my mouth. He spritzed a beer in a large glass and set it down in front of me. I placed five rupees in front of him and thanked him.

"Much obliged 'andsome," I said, reverting back to my Ordonian accent, "where's that bastard Zant?"

The bartender raised his eyebrows at me.

"He was just here," he replied, "it's funny ye ask that 'cuz he was just look for ye."

_Oh was he? _I thought, and downed my beer.

"Well," I said with a smile, "I better find 'im."

I got off the stool, and started for the entrance, but the bartender stopped me again. He had a semi-distressed look on his face.

"Lass," he said to me and I turned around.

I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

"What's up?" I asked.

He looked to both sides of him to see if any of the other customers were eavesdropping. They were, but nothing could be done to stop it.

"Ye need to be careful," he warned, "ye shouldn't be associatin' with that trash. He'll kill ye if you cross 'im."

I was well aware of that, but I was in much deeper than the concerned bartender realized.

_I wish it were that easy my friend, _I thought.

"Don't worry," I reassured, plastering a confident smile on my face, "I know how to handle Zant."

The man was not convinced.

"Ye just be careful," he reiterated, then added, "what 'appened to that 'andsome fella ye came in here with awhile ago?" he asked. "Ye know, the one with the quick temper."

I didn't let my face change, but I felt my heart pound slightly when I realized he was talking about Link.

_Divert Saria, _I told myself.

I let my smile widen.

"We had our fun and he had to go home," I said provocatively, "his soon to be wife found out about it and tried to kick me ass," I joked, "that's how I ended up with the busted lip."

The bartender looked at me shocked.

"Saria me lass," he said, "I didn't think ye were that kind of girl."

_I'm not, _I thought, _but right now I have no choice._

I didn't answer him. Instead, I teasingly blew him a kiss and left it at that. Tall tales were the norm in a bar, especially stories about married men and their philandering ways.

_I'll let his imagination do the rest, _I thought, making my way back outside.

When I exited the tavern, I headed down a short fork in the road where there was a strange bend in the light spectra. I removed one of my gloves and went up to touch the fractal of space. When I did, a course of energy went through me and the small space suddenly demarcated and got bigger. I stood back when the area became encapsulated in twilight. Even still, the light progressed outward, enveloped me, and I felt my body morph into a vessel of light shaped like a teardrop. However, as quickly as the metamorphosis happened it abated, and I fell to my knees when my body transmogrified back to its normal state. I was used to the temporary discomfort for the sake of seeing Zant. I was the only one allowed to touch his portal to see him impromptu like this. It was complicated as to the reasons why, but the important thing was I had his complete trust. It took me a long time to get it, but now that I had it, it was an invaluable asset.

_I can't afford to lose it, _I thought.

A moment later, that familiar, scary face showed itself and I smiled.

_Remember your objective, _I told myself.

"There you are," I said with a seductive inflection, "I was beginning to think you were hiding from me."

Zant stared at me for a moment, then smiled back. He gave me a long once over and came up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I hated how far I had to go to get Zant's trust, but I never let it go too far. There was a line in my own personal code of ethics that I never crossed. I was to procure information for the sake of the kingdom. I was _not _going to be a personal madam to a crazed sociopath, and that's exactly what Zant was.

_The moment that line gets toted, is the moment I blow my cover, _I thought.

Zant gave my face a quick once over.

"I wouldn't hide from something so beautiful," he said, staring at my mouth, "only a fool would scuttle from such deadly provocation."

I grinned and bit my lower lip, actively working to keep the repulsion from showing on my face.

"Provocation indeed," I whispered.

Zant grinned, then raised his eyebrows.

"What happened to your mouth?" he asked.

I knew he was going to inquire of that sooner or later. It looked like it was going to be sooner. I shrugged nonchalantly.

"I got into a little scuffle," I replied, "a nasty man tripped me."

Zant stared into my eyes for a moment and studied my face.

"That's more than a little scuffle," he said, "that looks more like a big scuffle, and with a _white knight _no doubt."

I was slightly taken aback at his knowledge of that.

_How did he hear about that? _I wondered.

I stared into his eyes, trying not to be deterred.

"That's one hell of a guess," I said, then dropped my voice pretending to be playful, "unless... you're having me watched."

Zant didn't answer that.

"I have eyes and ears everywhere Saria," he said to me, "I'm always watching."

I didn't let my face waiver.

"I see," was all I replied.

Zant shifted his gaze back to my mouth.

"I have some news for you my dear," he said, seguing the subject.

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be intrigued, but was more alarmed that he may have been coordinating something without my knowledge.

"News?" I inquired.

Zant nodded.

"It's about the reinstated first knight," he divulged.

I felt a sour apprehension creep up within me when he said that.

"What's that?" I asked.

He paused for a moment.

"It seems..." he trailed, "it seems the hero and the princess are engaged once more. Saving her from you did just the trick."

I didn't let it show, but I was shocked. Actually, I was more than shocked, but I knew I shouldn't have been. I knew it was bound to happen. I was just hoping for- I stopped myself. There was my problem. I got silly and did that crazy thing called hope again.

I forced a natural sounding chuckle.

"Well," I said, "what can you expect? He gallantly saved his lady love's life."

Zant didn't answer me when I said that. He just nodded, and his grip seemed to tighten around my waist.

_That must've been what he wanted to hear, _I thought.

"Then what I'm about to tell you should no doubt stun you," he divulged all of a sudden, his voice carried a hint of contradiction.

_What is he planning now? _I wondered, slightly put off by all the surprises.

"There's more?" I replied.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yes," he stated, "your tripping mate is planning to come see you."

I drew back a little, but tried to keep it playful.

_He isn't saying Link is... _I let my thoughts trail.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, pretending ignorance.

Zant stared into my eyes for a moment before uttering, "The hero of Hyrule is _going _to come here."

I didn't let it show, but I felt a surge of panic course through me when he actually said what I was fearing. I knew he was gauging my reaction.

_Why is he assuming Link will come here? _I wondered in disbelief.

"And..." I trailed, "when should we expect him?"

His eyes searched my face, and he didn't answer immediately.

"I was hoping _you _would tell me that," he said.

I kept my reaction controlled.

"What?" I said with a forced smile. "What are you talking about?"

Zant laughed at my saying that.

"You know as well as I do that that man is in love with you, and is going to come and try to rescue you," he divulged, "that's why I'm a little surprised you were so aloof to the news about his engagement."

I tried to divert.

"That _man _tried to kill me," I stated.

Zant raised a brow.

"_But _he didn't," he said, not being beguiled, "and there has to be a reason why."

I had to pump up the theatrics. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I _assure _you it isn't the reason you think," I whispered, coming within inches of his face.

Zant gave my face another once over and narrowed his eyes slightly again.

"We'll see," he said, "what do you have to report?" he asked me suddenly.

_It looks like I'm going to have to improvise, _I thought, _what I was initially going to do isn't going to work. _

I was about to answer, but before I could, Zant put his bluish grey finger to my lips to silence me. I raised my eyebrows at the cold icy touch.

_What's this? _I thought.

"You're not in the mood to hear what I have to say?" I whispered, trying to keep myself from shuddering at his touch.

He stared at my lips again.

"Not just yet," he said, getting a little closer, "I'm in the _mood _for something else right now."

I felt my stomach drop, but I didn't flinch.

"What's that?" I said with a forced seductive grin.

Zant looked into my eyes.

"Let me show you," he whispered, then filled in the inches with a kiss.

I closed my eyes tight as his lips were ice cold, and disgust racked my body.

_You're playing a role, _I told myself, knowing it wouldn't go further than a kiss, _just remember Saria, you're playing a role._

~SSS~

Link's POV: One Week Later

I had every intention of going to see the sea side scientist when I first received his letter a week ago, but every time I had a chance to get away I was mysteriously called to duty. However, I wasn't going to allow that to happen today. Not today. I wasn't going to be deterred. There were too many things I needed to find out, and I was worried about Saria's safety. I had no idea what would happen to her if I just abandoned her in Ordon. Zant could find out she's compromised and kill her.

_I won't allow that to happen, _I thought, _she's been through enough as it is. I have to know if she's okay._

With that resolve in mind, I left my residence. However, before I could take two steps, I was greeted by the captain of the guard at my entryway. It seemed Daphnes or Zelda was still having me watched. I was resigned to that fact, because I noticed a shadow following me everyday since my reinstatement. A face at a corner here. A gallop in the background over there. Incendiary soldiers rendezvousing with perfect timing over here. There was always someone watching.

_I knew my comments got under Daphnes' skin, _I thought.

The disgruntled captain had a slight sneer on his face when he saw me. I knew he was upset at my return. It seemed he was set to benefit from my prolonged absence. The rumor mill was grinding with whispers of him becoming the next first knight in my stead. I actually felt for the guy. Not everyone saw my position as I did. He may have actually _wanted _the added stress and tension afforded it.

_Sorry my friend, _I thought, wishing I had a better consolation for him, _I'd give it to you if I had the choice._

Even still, the guard looked at me ready to do his duty.

"What are your orders sir?" the captain asked me.

That was a good question, because everything I needed to do, I needed to do alone. I needed to see the seaside doctor, and I needed to figure out the whole Zant situation. That wasn't going to require an escort. In fact, an escort would only make my investigation more cumbersome. Daphnes still had the entire kingdom in the dark, and there was no telling what I would find in Ordon. Zant may have already started preparations for his strike against Hyrule. So, when I really thought about it, there wasn't very much for me to order him to do.

_Give him standard protocol and get moving, _I told myself, _you have to get going Link. The longer you delay the longer Saria and the kingdom are put in danger._

"Stand down for now, and establish an ordinance forbidding anyone to leave Hyrule until this assassin is caught," I ordered. "Make sure you go about it in such a way that the citizens aren't aware that he's still at large."

The captain nodded and saluted me.

"Yes sir," he replied, then went off to carry out my requests.

I watched after the soldier for a moment as he headed for the castle gates, but then noticed several people pointing at me and whispering to each other. When I saw that, I went back in my villa and decided to exit via the back alleys. As it stood right now, I would never get out of town. There were citizens everywhere waiting to congratulate me. I was their white knight once more.

_Take the road less traveled, _I thought, making sure my hood covered my face.

When I jumped the wooden fence and landed stealthily onto Hyrule Field, I called for Epona and rode to Lake Hylia. I arrived within an hour, dismounted, and headed to the laboratory. I knocked on the door and waited silently. I hooded myself again and looked around. I took in a deep breath, thinking about everything that happened in the course of this one week.

_Zelda was set up by erroneous means, Saria turned out to be a spy, Daphnes is still hiding something big, and this investigation is not even close to being over yet, _I thought in disbelief, _and... I have no idea what is going to happen next._

Abruptly, the door opened and the strange elderly man stared at me accusingly for some reason.

I stared back puzzled.

_What's this all about? _I wondered.

"You corresponded requesting a meeting with me?" I asked, perplexed at his gaze.

The elderly man frowned at my introduction, or lack thereof.

"Stop with the formalities!" he replied. "You've lived here for sometime with a young woman. Don't be so damn foolhardy, and get in here before you're followed!"

_What in the world? _I thought surprised.

The old man pulled on my arm and yanked me inside. I raised my eyebrows perplexed, wondering how in the hell he knew that.

I wasn't expecting this.

I wasn't expecting this at all.

It was then I noticed the inside of the laboratory was trashed. There were broken beakers and papers scattered all across the floor. Furniture was turned over, and it looked like the entire residence had been ransacked. I had no idea what the upstairs looked like, but I could only imagine. Daphnes must have ordered the search of the house after the coronation, but why? Saria had been long gone from the laboratory by that point. Why would Daphnes see fit to do this now? It didn't make sense, but when did the king ever make sense. The old man quickly closed the door and looked out the window at the grassy expanses. When he was certain it was safe, he turned and looked at me accusingly again.

I didn't know where I should begin, so I started with the obvious.

"You knew I was living here in your absence?" I asked, swallowing hard.

The old man nodded.

"Saria told me everything," he divulged.

My eyes widened at that.

"What?" I said disbelief. "You know Saria?"

The old man looked at me somber just then.

"I know more than you think," he said to me, then walked past me to his clean his trashed laboratory, "I wasn't expecting you to wait so long to respond."

I followed after him.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "What's going on?"

The old man was trying to lift a heavy table. I quickly went over to help him.

_He'll break his back trying to do that, _I thought.

"I've got it," I said, taking the table from his grip, but he went over to the other side anyway.

_Someone's stubborn, _I thought, but admired his tenacity.

"Saria came to me the day I was leaving, and told me of your arrest," he disclosed, "she stated that when she got you out, you would need a place to stay," he went on, lifting his side of the table after I lifted mine, "she asked me if you could stay here, and I said yes."

I looked at him stunned.

_That's why she said what she said to me in my cell, _I thought, _she already made it up in her mind to help me. She had her orders, but she still extended herself and put herself at risk, but not just her, the old man as well. _

I shook my head in disbelief.

"You knowingly let a fugitive stay in your residence?" I said to him incredulously. "You could have been arrested taking such a chance."

The old man scoffed a little at my reply.

"And where would you have gone?" he asked me. "Huh? What would you have done? Be grateful that girl cared enough about you to ensure you would be alright. Besides, I wouldn't worry about arrests. The king of Hyrule knows it wouldn't be in his best interests to have me thrown in jail."

I suddenly felt a surge of guilt for what I previously thought regarding the old man's absence when Saria was staying there.

_It was all part of a bigger plan, _I thought, _she had no intention of hurting the old man._

"Thank you," I said to him quietly, "you really helped me out regarding the princess."

The old man looked at me accusingly yet again, and raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't do it for you," he replied matter-of-fact, "I did it for Saria, she came to me requesting relief from the headaches she was experiencing, and you just happened to come up."

I looked at the old man stunned again.

"You know about her symptoms?" I asked.

"Of course I know about them," he divulged, "I've been helping her treat them."

I couldn't believe it.

_Why didn't Saria tell me this? _I wondered.

"What about the disappearing?" I asked quickly. "Did she tell you about that?"

"Of course she did," he replied with a nod.

I thought he was going to continue, but he didn't.

"And?" I asked, wanting him to go on.

The old man saw my apparent concern and decided to explain.

"I think you've been in the dark long enough," he said, "it's time you knew what was really going on with her."

I raised my eyebrows stunned.

_Did I hear right just now? _I thought. _Does someone actually want to give me information?_

I gave him my undivided attention.

"Saria was under the care of Dr. Paul Dirac before he was murdered," the old man said, straining with his side of the table, "I was his assistant."

I looked at the old man surprised.

_What? _I thought.

"You assisted the great Dirac?" I repeated. "I thought you were an ophthalmologist by trade."

The old man chuckled at my inquiry, and we placed the table down where he desired it to be.

"I am son," he said to me, "but once upon a time, in my former life, I was a biological physicist, specializing in medical treatment by use of quantum mechanics."

I gave him an offhanded stare at the revelation.

_Wait a minute... _I let my thoughts trail.

"What does that have to do with Saria?" I asked.

The old man turned from me for a second, and went to pick up a chair. He looked hesitant to go on, and segued to cleaning his lab once more. I knew whatever it was he was withholding had to have some pretty big significance. I never saw him like this before.

_What's been done to her? _I wondered.

"They really did a number in here didn't they?" the old man muttered to himself.

_Yes, they did, _I thought, looking around and feeling guilty.

I sighed and took it upon myself to pick up the disheveled furnishings while he spoke to me. It was the least I could do, considering I was the reason for the mess. I knew the immediacy of his concerns wasn't telling me what I wanted to know, especially since I waited a week to get back to him. His home had just been burgled and his worries rested there at the moment. When the scientist saw me going about the room tiding things up, he looked at me gratefully and decided to continue.

"Saria's transformation was based on reconfiguring the natural quanta in her body," he began, picking up a broom and sweeping up some broken porcelain, "the quanta is set on a fixated depolarization mechanism inside her body."

I paused for a moment when a puzzled expression came across my face.

_Fixated depolarization...? _I let my mind trail. _Doesn't that need a positron magnet of some kind? _

"By any chance, does this 'mechanism' you speak of resemble a diamond shaped instrument implanted underneath her skin?" I discerned.

The old man raised his eyebrows and gave me a strange look.

"Yes," he said carefully, "how do you know that?"

I took in a deep breath.

_That's what that thing was, _I thought.

"She cut it out and showed it to me," I replied.

The old man's eyes widened.

"Why would she do that?" he asked me.

I shook my head, just as confused as him.

_I have no idea, _I thought.

"I don't know," I said honestly, but then had to renege and added, "well, yes I do know, it allowed Saria to alter her appearance. I don't know exactly how, but she was able to manifest a hyper modification of her musculature at will. However, when she took it out, she went back to her normal configuration."

The old man was silent after I said that, and I knew it was because what I divulged had some pretty detailed information. Whatever was going on with her had to do with that crystal.

"In theory, she should be able to remove that item without any problems," the old man said, "she received her last treatment four and a half years ago."

_Wait a minute, what? _I thought.

I looked at him perplexed.

"What is this 'treatment' you speak of?" I asked.

The old man looked away from me and sighed.

"It was Dr. Dirac's life's work: biophysical dichroism of quanta by means object permeance," he replied.

I looked at him and pursed my lips together.

_Seriously? _I thought.

"Could you say that in Hylian?" I asked sarcastically.

The scientist chuckled a little at my reply.

"We were keeping her Hylian form from disappearing by means magnetizing certain atoms within her body," he stated.

My eyes widened again at the divulgence.

_It's all starting to make sense, _I thought.

"Did she come to you often, or just recently for treatment?" I asked.

The old man looked away and sighed uncomfortably just then. I took note of that.

_Uh oh, _I thought, _what's this?_

There was a brief silence between us.

"Just recently," he replied finally, "which is surprising, because she was doing so well. When she came to me, she informed me her symptomology returned only when a new memory was triggered. The more she was trying to find out about her past, the quicker the onset was of her symptoms came. She became frightened of that fact, thinking her only alternative was seeking immediate counsel with the Deku Tree."

I sighed at his revelation and swallowed hard.

_That's why she was so desperate, _I thought,_ even when she was disguised as the assassin, she was pleading for an answer... Saria…_

I shook my head in defiance, wanting to help her.

"Is there any way she can be cured?" I asked.

The old man lifted his eyebrows uncertainly. He didn't answer right away. In fact, he seemed even more hesitant than he previously was before.

_There must be more than he's letting on, _I perceived, _something about her condition is making him cautious._

"She requested a full treatment as in the past, but there was nothing I could do for her," he confessed, "I don't have the equipment as I once had when I worked with Dirac. Honestly however, the sessions in the past should have taken care of all the side effects. It doesn't make sense that she is disappearing. The reaction must be getting triggered by something deep in her psyche acting as a catalyst within her subconscious."

I gave the scientist another offhanded stare.

_What? _I thought perplexed. _Is he saying her feelings _and_ her memories are doing this?_

"What do you mean?" I asked flummoxed.

The old man shook his head.

"The only thing that I can think of that would precipitate such a reaction would be her..." the old man suddenly trailed and didn't continue.

I looked at him concerned and raised my eyebrows.

_Don't stop now, _I thought.

"Would be what?" I continued for him.

The old man glanced over at me haphazardly and averted his gaze to the window, he then took a seat in one of his chairs. He looked as though he were lost in thought, he even started mumbling to himself.

"Yes," he muttered, "that must be it."

I looked at him slightly upset.

_I thought I wasn't going to be left in the dark, _I pondered.

"What must be it?" I asked impatiently.

The old man looked up at me once more.

"There were certain... _restrictions_ put on young Saria's condition of becoming a Hylian," he disclosed.

I raised my eyebrows at hearing that.

_Restrictions? _I repeated in my head.

"Like?" I said, wanting him to go on.

The old man sighed and looked away again.

"She was forbidden to leave Ordon, but she left anyway," he divulged, "she was only supposed to work under the cover of night, and she was to report only to his majesty himself. She was also, irrevocably, forbidden to have any contact with you. As far as I know, she's gone against all those restrictions. That must be the reason her body is transfiguring."

I looked at him stunned.

_She was forced to live in solitude with no one from her past to communicate with? _I thought angrily.

I suddenly felt a wave of indignation flow through me on Saria's behalf. She was already slighted by having the sage-ship pushed on her. Now, she was forced to live a life of abject slavery and servitude, and for what? Why was she being forced into such misery? Why was she garnered such an assignment where her life was constantly in danger? Why couldn't she just live a normal life like a normal Hylian? Why was this being done to her? It didn't make sense, and when something didn't make sense there was usually a hint of truth missing.

_Trash... _I thought upset, _she's been treated like she were no account trash._

"How is anyone supposed to live like that?" I demanded. "Caged in a box with no way out? She had no memory of who she was, and was forced to just accept the circumstances? What the hell is wrong with Daphnes?"

The old man just stared at me for a moment.

"I never said it was right, I simply stated what was required of her," he replied quietly, "I've been questioning the decisions of the royal family for years."

_I wish I started questioning sooner, _I thought upset.

I ran a hand through my hair irritably. The old man saw that and tried to reason with me.

"It's okay lad," he said, "Saria's a very bright, beautiful woman. She's tough and knows how to handle herself."

I just looked at him.

_Everyone sees her new abilities as the be all end all situation changer, _I thought angrily, _well I've got news for them,_ _Saria still is who she is at her core. No ability can cover that. I can tell she isn't happy._

"Why make her a guardian anyway?" I asked, ignoring his last statement. "Why was that even necessary?"

The old man looked at me with a bit of remorse.

"There was an extreme disturbance in the space time continuum in the back areas of the forest of Ordon," the old man began. "Polar shifts in electrical energy were ripping holes in between dimensions. When that happened, the Twilight Realm was easily accessible. Since Saria was incapable of no longer performing her duties as sage, it was decided she could be useful for warding off the impending infringement of twilight."

I felt so much contempt after hearing that. I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked away.

"Who decided that?" I asked almost talking to myself, already knowing the answer.

Unsurprisingly, the old man hesitated.

"I can't say," he replied.

I rolled my eyes and grunted.

_Of course not, that is everyone's favorite phrase, _I thought upset, _Saria was used as if she were nothing._

"Why...?" I asked but trailed. "Why wasn't she just allowed to come back and live a simple life?"

The old man shook his head as well.

"I never understood matters of the heart very well," he replied in an odd fashion, "all I know is, it was imperative that she remained confined to that area to protect the seal."

I felt my fists ball at my sides.

_Damn you Daphnes, _I thought angrily.

The old man stared at me for a moment.

"Are you alright son?" he asked me.

_No, _I thought.

"Yes," I verbalized.

There was another silence between us.

"Are you aware of Saria's whereabouts now?" he asked me abruptly, changing the subject.

I nodded.

"She's returned to Ordon to report to Zant," I replied, talking more to myself than to him.

The old man just nodded.

"So, you know about her acting as a spy?" he asked me rhetorically.

I nodded at him saying that as well.

"Strange times lead to strange bedfellows," he said to himself.

I looked over at the scientist and gave him an offhanded stare.

_That's the third time I've heard that reference, _I thought, finding it strange that it kept popping up, _what strange fellows are you in bed with old man?_

It didn't matter, I had other things to worry about.

"She's playing around with fire acting as a spy," I divulged, "I need to get her out of Ordon and take her someplace safe."

The old man sighed again.

"I agree," he said to me with a nod, "the longer she stays in Zants presence, the more danger she's in."

I looked at the old man thoughtfully for a moment.

"Did she tell you anything oblong before you left to see the Goron?" I asked, thinking it might help.

The old man paused for a moment.

"No," he replied, clearly lying.

I took in a deep breath.

_I really don't have time for shiftiness, _I thought.

"Sir," I said, "please... I need to know."

The scientist hesitated again, but then decided to tell me.

"She told me..." he trailed, "she told me when I got back from my visit with the Goron she was either going to be in Ordon, or... dead," he divulged.

I swallowed hard and looked at the scientist seriously for a moment.

"Dead?" I whispered, not wanting to believe that.

The old man saw the look on my face and reluctantly nodded.

"Those were her words son," he replied.

I looked away from him to collect myself.

_There's no way I'm going to allow her to just die,_ I thought, _she's not expendable trash the way Daphnes thinks she is. I love her and I want to help her._

I couldn't imagine Saria being gone again, especially after I just found her. It was with that sobering thought I made a quick decision.

"I need to get to Ordon immediately," I said to the old man, wanting to finalize this conversation, "there's no way in hell I'm leaving her there. Thank you for all your help."

The old man just nodded, understanding my sudden haste. I then turned and headed for the door, but before I left he stopped me.

"_Please_ be careful in how you approach this situation," the old man said to me cautiously, "that young woman's life hangs in the balance, and if you do one thing to tote the line she could disappear forever."

I looked at him surprised, and swallowed hard.

"I will," I said quietly, then set out for Ordon.

~SSS~

I knew going to Ordon was a huge risk, but I couldn't worry about the risk when the future of the country, and the life of a dear friend hung in the balance. I traveled the route Saria had shown me, but before I took to entering the village, I hid behind the trunk of a large tree and looked at the commodious clearing leading to the tavern. I didn't see anyone, and I wasn't sure where I should start looking.

_Where would you look Saria? _I wondered.

There was of course the pub in the back that Saria and I had been too before, but I wasn't sure if I should begin there. There were some small shacks that resembled old warn out residences littering the perimeter of the pathway. I decided to start my search there. The first shack I went to was dilapidated and smelled of skulltula droppings.

_There is no way in hell anyone lives here, _I thought, looking in the window and seeing nothing but darkness.

I went down the road to the next house and found the same thing. I then crossed the area to the opposite side of the perimeter and checked the residences over there. It was the same outcome, nothing. I shouldn't have been surprised, it didn't look like the most ideal place to live, especially with the threat of Zant, spatial disruptions, and conversions into twilight looming in the background.

_If I took over this place I'd enlist a massive clean up and plant some pumpkin patches, _I thought.

Just then, down the road a light from a lantern flickered on in one of the shacks. I hurried to hide behind the one I was investigating. I watched and saw a strange looking creature with grotesquely long limbs, no face but the budded distortion of a flower, and blackish purple skin walk down the road to the tavern.

_That must be a shadow beast, _I thought.

When the creature went inside the tavern, I crept down the road and peered into the window. To my surprise, the tavern was packed. There were mountain men and shadow beasts everywhere. I didn't understand why, until I looked farther to the back and saw Saria behind the bar bartending. She was wearing an open collar white shirt, light brown travel pants, and dark brown boots. She had a huge smile on her face as she was cracking jokes and handing out drinks to everyone. I saw a bandage on her neck as she shook a drink in two cups. She apparently said something funny, because the room soon erupted into laughter.

_She's being forced to play two roles, _I thought, watching her carefully.

I watched the scene in slight confusion, not understanding why twilight creatures and mountain men were meeting together.

_Maybe the mountain men have some complaints about the royal family as well, _I thought, _there's no telling with their past._

I leaned in closer to the window, hoping to hear a glimpse of an important conversation. All I got was bits and pieces.

"…there's some gold in Lake Hylia, you just need these special aquatic bombs…" one mountain man said to another.

"…how long do we have to associate with this vermin?" two mountain men were saying to each other, looking at the shadow beasts suspiciously.

"…the girl behind the bar is certainly a beauty…" another conversation went.

I averted my eyes back to Saria when I heard that.

_I definitely have to agree with you on that, _I thought.

I shook my head when I realized I needed to stay focused. It was a good thing too, because the next conversation I overheard revealed something important.

"…Zant said something about a surprise attack…" a Twili said to another.

_What's that? _I thought alarmed, but couldn't pick up more of the conversation. _Damn it!_

"Gentlemen may I have yer attention please," Saria announced in her best Ordonian accent.

The crowd hushed momentarily and turned to look at Saria.

I looked toward her as well.

_What's this all about? _I wondered. _What is she doing?_

Saria raised a glass mug and addressed the crowd.

"Zant says in honor of the soon to be dead royal family, he wants ye all to have a drink," she said enthusiastically, "and it's on 'im!"

The crowd erupted in elated fervor.

"What?" I said confused.

_Soon to be dead royal family? _I thought in disbelief. _What the hell is going on? What is Zant planning now?_

Saria went on.

"But remember, if ye get drunk and can't fight it's yer ass!" she added beginning an assembly line of pints. "Ales fer everybody!"

The crowd broke into laughter at her comment. I took in a deep breath looking around the room for Zant. It didn't make sense to me that they were having this assemblage without Zant. He was the ring leader, and all of this talk about murdering the royal family and vengeance on Hyrule was high blown without his confirmation.

_Where is he? _I wondered. _Why are they having a meeting without him?_

"What is this gathering all about?" I muttered to myself, wishing I could just go in. "Where the hell is Zant?"

Just then, an icy cold breeze precluded the air, it sent shivers down my cloaked spine. It was the same sensation I felt when I came to the tavern the first time, and when I was visiting the Deku Tree in the forest.

_What the hell...?_ I thought, then turned around to see what was causing it. _Is that...?_

Sure enough, I felt my heart beat accelerate when I came face to face with the person I suspected was causing this, Zant. I stepped back when he gave me devious smile.

"Welcome back to Ordon reinstated knight, and apparently now regent of Hyrule," he said to me and bowed, "congratulations."

I straightened myself up and put a hand on my sword immediately. Zant laughed at my action.

"Easy, easy there sir knight," he said, "I was merely wishing you well."

I narrowed my eyes at him and ignored him.

"How do you know that?" I asked, realizing it was a stupid question.

Zant smirked at me.

"You well know sir knight that there are spies and ears everywhere," he said simply, "especially after your daring rescue of the princess only a week ago."

I stood erect feeling a little foolish at the apparent logic.

"Right," I replied.

Zant glanced into the window at the crowed tavern.

"This gathering is in regards to the destruction of Hyrule," he answered my first question with cold rationale.

I quickly initiated my battle stance and tightened my grip on my blade.

"You're not destroying anything," I said to him.

Zant shook his head at my gesture, and laughed mockingly.

"The hotheaded soon to be king of Hyrule," he said to me, "always ready for a fight."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Why are you so hell bent on eradicating Hyrule?" I demanded, not being distracted.

Zant looked at me and smiled with more deviance.

"It's not Hyrule I care about in all honesty," he said to me, "it's the royal family I want destroyed."

I shook my head at his words, already knowing the answer, but asked anyway.

"Why?" I demanded.

He just looked at me.

"Why not?" he countered.

I groaned in frustration.

"You're talking in circles," I replied, "you're just a blood thirsty monster with a hunger for vengeance!"

Zant paused when I said that.

"Yes," he whispered, and his eyes widened, "yes, I do want blood, and lots of it."

I shook my head repulsed, and for a moment I had a memory of Saria as the assassin.

_She sounded just like him, _I thought, _she must have gotten those insane mannerisms from him. She certainly studied him closely._

"You're sick you bastard," I said to him.

He grinned at me.

"Yes," he said, nodding in agreement, "that I am, but especially of the royal family, with whom you're such a willing puppet to."

I narrowed my eyes.

"That's not going to work on me," I said to him, understanding what he was trying to do, "I'm no one's puppet."

_He's good at mind games, _I thought, _he's not going to play any on me._

"You're the puppet of the great puppet master," he continued as if not hearing me.

_That's the second time I've heard that, _I thought, _Saria said that when I was confined. This deviant certainly has twisted logic._

"Try your games on someone else," I replied.

Zant narrowed his eyes at me.

"But you're a lot more interesting," he said furtively, "you _honestly _think you're doing the right thing by helping the royal family."

I billowed an irritated breath of air, tired of this useless conversation.

"The only puppets are the idiots following you," I replied, then nodded my head towards the tavern. "They're blinded by their ignorance of what they think they're going to get from you."

Zant got quiet after hearing my reply, and studied me for a moment. He looked inside the tavern then back to me.

_What the hell is he doing? _I wondered.

"Does that include the beautiful girl with the green hair?" he asked me all of a sudden.

I took in a deep breath when I heard him say that and remained silent. I knew I just gave myself away by not having a comeback. I may have even compromised Saria just then.

_That's what he wants, _I thought, _he wants me to get rattled._

Zant smirked at my disposition.

"I'll take that as a yes," he replied.

I needed to divert and turn the tables somehow.

"You have no idea why you're doing this, do you?" I asked abruptly.

Zant was quiet for a moment, he didn't seem to be falling for it. He segued the conversation right back to me.

"_You_ have no idea what you're talking about, do you?" Zant detracted.

_Two can play this game, _I thought, _you want to be evasive and give the runaround? Fine, so can I._

"If you're so in the know Zant, why are you situated in Ordon like a repressed back wood hick?" I shot back. "Why not take your vengeance full on without recourse?"

Zant smirked at my remark.

"Because that's foolhardy and stupid," he said simply, "you know this sir knight. When you want to do something right, you don't just rush in."

I raised my eyebrows in cynicism at what he said.

"Is that how it goes?" I inquired with sarcasm. "You care to enlighten me?"

Zant stared at me again and laughed, then suddenly he snapped his fingers and disappeared. My eyes widened and I looked around quickly and saw no sign of him.

"What the hell?" I heard myself say, completely caught off guard by the maneuver.

Zant reappeared all of a sudden a few feet ahead of me, then disappeared once more.

_Teleportation? _I thought in disbelief. _This madman can teleport?_

Out of nowhere, he appeared above me with a sword in his hands. I went to guard and parried his aerial attack. The friction reverberated our blades and I side stepped out of the way. The prolonged effect from Zant's landing caused one of the windows of the tavern to break. Several of the shadow beasts and mountain men inside turned to see what was going on. I quickly presumed my formation, and held out my sword.

"You want enlightenment huh?" Zant said to me finally, initiating his own stance of the aku soku zan.

I widened my eyes when I saw his battle stance.

_He fights by the code of 'swift death to evil?' _I thought in disbelief, readying myself to parry his sword thrust.

Zant teleported again and tried to attack me from behind. I dodged his attack, but barely.

"You see first knight of Hyrule," he said to me, with growing menace in his voice, "you must play with your prey first, get them off their guard, then attack when they-"

Zant teleported again and tried to strike me once more. I back flipped out of his reach.

_He's fast! _I thought.

"-least expect it!" he finished, then drew back when he saw he missed me.

By now, many of Zant's henchmen had heard the commotion and started filtering outside to where we were. The last to come out was Saria. When she saw me her eyes widened slightly, but she knew she had to remain quiet. If either of us said anything, we were dead.

~SSS~

Saria's POV

I felt my stomach drop at the sight of Link fighting Zant.

_Why the hell had he come here? _I wondered. _This is only going to end badly. _

After what Zant disclosed to me a few days ago, I was hoping Link would lay low for a good while, or not come back at all. I was planning my escape for another day. However, now that he was here, he just reconfirmed Zant's suspicions, and made the situation more convoluted.

_Damn it Link! _ I thought. _Why do you have to be so pigheaded? _

Even still, I couldn't help but feel a little bit of a stirring inside me at the thought of him coming to rescue me. He really did care about me.

_He has to win, _I thought, silently rooting him on, _he has too! _

~SSS~

Link's POV

_'What the hell are you doing here?' _Saria mouthed to me in slight panic.

I couldn't reply back to her.

"You want us to get him boss?" one of the henchmen asked Zant.

Zant held up his hand to silence him.

"No, no, no," he said to the crowd quietly, "he's mine. I've been looking forward to fighting him for a long time."

Zant held up his sword again and reinitiated his stance.

I narrowed my eyes and resumed mine.

_Stay focused, _I thought, concentrating on the gambits of his sword strikes.

Zant slowly began to shift his feet and that was when he started talking.

"Let me tell you a tale of two countries white knight of Hyrule," he whispered eerily, as he readied another attack. "If you live through each of my attacks, then you'll know the truth."

I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying. I was studying his battle stance.

_He's going to start commencing the Gatotsu style, counting down from three to zero, _I thought, but couldn't help but wonder, _how does he know Hylian fighting techniques? Perhaps he studied them when he traversed through both dimensions._

Zant continued his tale.

"There once was an alliance between the Twili and the king of Hyrule," he began, then disappeared again.

_Damn it! _I thought and looked around. _Where the hell did he go?_

"_Gatotsu Ishiki_ style!" Zant exclaimed as he reappeared right in front of me.

I raised my sword and blocked his thrust attack. In the process, one of his fingers cut onto his blade. He didn't react to the cut at all.

_He so focused he ignores his injuries, _I thought, slightly impressed with his level of concentration, _that's not easy to pull off._

Zant went on as if nothing happened.

"The alliance was performed in good faith by the Twili known as my father," he said, then commenced his battle stance for the second Gatotsu: _nishiki_.

I knew that one well.

_I need to watch for a mid-range attack, _I thought.

Zant teleported again and reappeared at my left with a mid-aerial strike.

"_Gatotsu nishiki_ style!" he exclaimed, coming down hard, as my blade clanged against his blade.

I instantly rotated my sword and broke his attack, but he tried to counter with a side slice. I parried it and struck his chin with the butt of my sword. Zant staggered back and rubbed his chin. The skin broke, and he was bleeding purplish blood.

"You're good," he said to me with a wicked grin, and licked the blood falling from his chin.

_So are you, _I thought, but wouldn't allow myself to utter it.

"I get that a lot," I replied.

I could see Saria out of the corner of my eye looking increasingly worried as the battle went on.

"Shall I continue?" he asked me in a strange fashion.

I didn't break formation.

"It's your story," I replied, not getting distracted.

Zant reengaged his Gatotsu and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Right," he said to me quietly, "my story."

_His weak side is his right side, _I thought, taking note of how he was initiating his defense, _I need to focus my attacks there._

"There was an agreement-" Zant continued.

"-to have a piece of the Triforce of Power," I interrupted impatiently, "I know already, get on with it!"

For a brief moment, Zant lost his cool and quickly went into Gatotsu three: _sanshiki._

_Bad idea, _I thought, _I'm not initiating an aerial attack, sanshiki is only potent against those._

Zant commenced with his pose and teleported again. I grossly underestimated his strike zone. Zant reappeared in the _ground_ underneath me and _created_ an aerial strike using the _sanshiki _attack mode. I had to roll out of the way in a hurry, but he managed to cut at my inner thigh.

"Ah!" I cried out in pain. "Damn it!"

I saw Saria cover her mouth to keep herself from screaming.

_I'm okay Sar, _I thought, _just don't give yourself away._

Zant teleported again, and quickly tried to slice at me. It didn't work, because I jumped back and out of the way.

When I stood up, Zant was licking his lips again with his long leathery like tongue.

"You're much better than I gave you credit for," he said to me with a subtle admiration, "but... before I end the tale I think proper surroundings are in order."

_He has one more attack with the Gatotsu series, _I thought, not letting my guard down, _but what is he speaking about?_

It was then Saria lost her composure and protested. Apparently, she knew what was in store.

"No!" Saria called out almost involuntarily. "Zant ye can't!"

Zant looked over in Saria's direction surprised.

"Silence!" he snapped at her.

Saria narrowed her eyes at Zant in defiance.

"If you're going to play fair, you both have to be on the same playing field!" she said to Zant, losing her accent and not backing down.

Zant narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

"There is no such thing as a _fair_ playing field in combat," he said to her, "now shut up!"

_Oh goddesses! _I thought, feeling the tension in the current situation imploding. _Damn it Saria, you may have just blown your cover!_

Zant raised his hand above his head, and out of nowhere a portal appeared. Filtering out of the displaced space was that familiar iridescent golden brown light. It was then I realized what was about to happen. I felt my eyes widen.

_No! _I thought, feeling panic beginning to set in. _Twilight! He's going to force me to fight him in the Twilight Realm!_

Zant grinned when he saw the stark expression on my face.

"I'm going to play with the big bad wolf," he whispered to me furtively.

I swallowed hard, feeling my stomach turn to knots.

"That's the only way you can win isn't it you cowardly bastard!" I said angrily, watching as the twilight engulfed the atmosphere all around me.

Saria and the crowd of onlookers suddenly turned into tear shaped lights as their bodies were wrapped in the iridescence. I saw Saria's worried eyes before her body was completely encapsulated.

_'Be careful,' _she mouthed before I could see her no longer.

_I'll try, _I thought, knowing what was to come next.

When the light surrounded me, I felt that uncomfortable agonizing fixation again. My body was forced down onto all four limbs, and my musculature began to change. My canines grew long and sharp, I howled out in pain, but immediately presumed a battle stance. I had no choice. I was forced into a perpetual state of defense because of how foreign this anatomy was to me. Even still, I was going to give Zant the fight he wanted.

_I'll use my fangs, I'll use whatever the hell I've got, _I thought, trying to formulate a plan of attack, while Zant initiated his final Gatotsu: _zeroshiki_.

"After the king of the Twili was killed and betrayed as you undoubtedly know," he continued his story in his whispery voice, "the little son, who you know was me, was casted into the Twilight Realm with his mother."

I growled at him as he tried circling around me.

_Come on and attack me you bastard, _I thought, and growled some more.

As if in tandem with my thoughts, Zant teleported several times, trying to throw off my spatial orientation. However, one thing I realized about my wolf form was that I had better depth perception and reflexes. When he tried to attack, I jumped back and tried to swipe at him. I actually clawed his right hand and he drew back for a moment.

"Looks like you are a big bad wolf," he said with a twisted smile.

I growled at him viciously.

"You see, one day my mother told me a story of two forbidden lovers," he went on suddenly with his story, then raised his sword, "it was between the king of Hyrule and unfortunately herself."

I felt my pulse dance when I heard him say that, because I was beginning to understand where he was going with this.

_It can't be! _I thought, feeling the shock already set in. _Zant can't be!_

"She got pregnant, had a son, and that son was..." he trailed off, then teleported again.

I growled, trying to use my newly acquired senses, as he teleported around me in cadence once more.

_Where the hell is he going to appear? _I wondered, looking around immediately.

Out of nowhere, he reappeared in front of me.

"_Gatotsu zeroshiki_ style!" Zant exclaimed, and thrust his sword at me using very little leg power.

Unfortunately for him, he greatly underestimated my center of gravity. He managed to stab my right paw as I leapt from his attack. However, I then jumped up and attacked his neck with my new found fangs and tried to crush his jugular veins. Oddly to me, he merely smiled at my attack.

"Hybrid anatomy is slightly different," he whispered creepily in my ear, and threw me off his neck.

I landed on all fours and turned in anticipation of another attack, but no such attack came. Zant went back to his normal formation, and quickly truncated his form of aku soku zan signifying the battle being over. He closed his eyes and moved his sword in a clockwise motion, then tapped the ground. The fight was over.

"Excellent fight sir knight of Hyrule," he said to me, then raised his hand summoning another portal.

The twilight slowly sucked itself in the portal like a vacuum. A few moments after another painful anatomical alteration, I was back to my old self. I quickly maintained my battle stance. Saria looked at me in relief once I reappeared. Zant grinned when he saw my battle stance.

"There's no need for that," he said to me of my posture, "you survived all four of my Gatotsu attacks. I'm not going to initiate battle any further. As per my promise I will tell you the end of my tale."

The crowd watching looked on in confusion.

_That's right, they didn't hear everything he said in the Twilight Realm, _I thought.

Saria stood in the trenches waiting for what Zant was going to say. She looked just as puzzled as everyone else. Zant narrowed his eyes at me.

"That child was me," he whispered abruptly.

I knew it was coming to that, but that still didn't lessen the shock.

_Great Farore, _I thought in disbelief.

Everyone turned to each other in confusion.

"What child?" one of the mountain men asked.

Zant glanced at the man and then back at me.

"I'm the bastard mistake of your precious royal family," he reiterated to me so everyone could hear, "Daphnes' grandfather is _my _biological father."

A stunned hush fell over the crowd, but then everyone reacted at once.

"What!" a few of them exclaimed.

Saria's eyes widened in surprise and she covered her mouth.

"What do you mean Zant?" one of the men said confused.

"You're connected to the royal family?" another man asked Zant flummoxed.

Zant's comment caught everyone by surprise.

_Zant is Daphnes' uncle? _I thought incredulously. _That's why the Hyrulean king had the king of the Twili killed. He impregnated his wife and didn't want a war started over it._

"You all can thank the first knight of Hyrule for finally getting the secret out," Zant said turning to face the crowd, "I told that story a total of fifty-six times in battle and fifty-five times I've never been able to finish it. This is the first time I've revealed my lineage to anyone."

I was surprised he said that to me, but it was short lived when all of a sudden I felt a sharp pain at my side.

"Ah!" I cried out, gripping my side.

_What the…? _I thought, not understanding where the onset had come from.

Zant narrowed his eyes at me when he saw my reaction.

"Oh," he said, pretending ignorance, "I forgot to tell you, my sword was coated with a fast acting poison."

I looked at Zant surprised.

_What? _I thought.

"You bastard!" I said, feeling my vision starting to blur. "You can't fight a fair fight?"

He scoffed at that.

"You just heard me say there are no fair fights in battle," Zant repeated.

I shook my head, feeling dizzy immediately.

"This is why I seek revenge first knight of Hyrule," Zant said to me, "this is why I'm forging an army to attack Hyrule because… life isn't fair."

I still was reeling from the effects of the poison. I shook my head again.

"My nephew is in for a sweet surprise," Zant said with a laugh, "uncle Zant is coming and he has something special for his great niece Zelda."

I tried standing straight, but rapid vertigo began setting in.

_What the hell did he give me? _I wondered, trying to stay conscious.

Zant stared at me indifferently, then turned to the crowd.

"Who wants to finish him off?" he asked the crowd.

Several mountain men and shadow beasts spoke out at once.

"Let me do it!" said a shadow beast in the back.

"No, let me!" a mountain man said in the front. "That bastard broke my leg not too long ago!"

The banter went on for several minutes, until Zant looked to the back of the crowd at Saria who was trying to avoid his eyes.

"No," he said to the men and the Twili, "the dark maiden will do it."

Saria looked up surprised.

"You're out of your mind Zant!" she exclaimed to him. "If you want him dead, kill him yourself!"

I was rapidly losing consciousness, but not so much that I couldn't hear what was being said.

_Damn Saria, _I thought, _get out of here!__  
><em>

"He's your kill," Zant said with finality, "and if everything is as you told me, there should be no hesitation."

Saria looked at me, but then cut her gaze short. She muscled through the crowd, and hesitated when she looked into my eyes.

"Fine," she said finally, "excuse me if I make this quick."

I lost my footing and fell to my knees.

_What the hell is she doing? _I thought.

Saria unsheathed her knife, but before she used it, she took out a wet handkerchief and wiped it down. She narrowed her eyes at me when she put the sodden cloth away.

"I like a shiny blade for bright red blood," she said to me, then smirked.

_You like what? _I thought, thinking I heard wrong.

"This isn't going to hurt at all," she whispered to me menacingly, then smirked over at Zant, "you watching?" she asked him.

Zant remained silent and nodded.

Saria then plunged the blade into my gut and I immediately lost consciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 16 will be up soon.<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Inspiration: Istunka fighting style (it's a fighting style that uses clubs and sticks in a very blunt manner).**

**Original Shout Outs: Wolfstarspirit, Yuka, Lydia, twiggy, henslight, IAmTofu, James Fisher, LinkLink, and Colleen TJ.**

**New Shout Outs: DestinyPrincess289, Michael Mario, the guest with the Fierce Deity reference (that was hilarious my friend lol, thanks for keeping me on my toes), **

**Author note: Check out Rhetorical Girl's "A World of Our Own" it is a beautiful touching story. ADDENDUM 2/24/2013- Please read the first part of chapter 15 again with the conversation between Saria and Zant. There was an important point I forgot to add, that I added now. It will make chapter 17 make more sense, thank you. ~ZR~.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 16<p>

I opened my eyes and gasped.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

I was trying to get my vision in focus, but when I shook my head to fend my diplopia I felt an intense amount of pressure on the front of my head. It took me a moment to realize what was going on, but I soon realized the reason for my sudden discomfort, I was hanging upside down from a tree. I tried turning my body to get a better view of my predicament, and was surprised to find Saria hanging upside down unconscious next to me.

_What in the world…? _I thought perplexed.

I wanted to reach for her, but my arms were bound behind my back, and my legs were wrapped in a noose suspended in a high branch of the tree. I tried wriggling myself free, but the binds were extremely tight. I lacerated my wrists several times.

_Damn it! _I thought from the rope burn.

I turned slightly by rotating the rope and looked behind me. I noticed a serrated branch a few inches from my grip. I was about to reach for it, but stopped myself when I turned back around and came face to face with a grayish-blue figure walking towards me, it was Zant. My eyes widened, but then narrowed in anger.

_You cheating bastard, _I thought.

"I knew it," he said quietly to me, as if vindicated.

I looked at him puzzled.

"You knew what?" I asked, trying to maintain a less intense work of breathing. My chest was heaving from the excess pressure flowing to my upper body.

Zant glanced over at Saria's unconscious body dangling next to me.

"I knew she didn't kill you," he divulged to me, "I knew she _wouldn't _kill you."

I looked over at Saria's body now myself.

_I had a feeling, _I thought in relief.

"What did you do to her?" I demanded, choosing not to address his words.

Zant smirked at my question.

"The same thing she did to you," he replied. "I gave her a paralytic concoction mixed with a blue potion. She should be waking up soon."

I raised my eyebrows when he said that. Zant studied my face for a moment.

"Are you surprised sir knight?" he asked me furtively. "Did you think your little... _friend_ would honestly kill you?"

I wasn't going to play Zant's game. All he wanted was for me to satisfy his egocentric narcissism. Every psychotic killer relished in that. They felt the need to emotionally and mentally torture a person before they killed them.

_He'll get no such pleasure from me, _I thought, _I know how that works._

"I wanted to test her loyalty," he went on, not caring that I didn't cue him, "as you probably guessed, she failed." He walked closer to where I was hanging and narrowed his eyes. "You see, you should have been _dead_ five hours ago, but when I saw you were still breathing, and your stab wound was healed, I knew she had given you something when she stabbed you with that dagger. All of that spit and polish she did on that rag before she shanked you confirmed that. I decided to return the favor to her."

I looked over at Saria again, feeling a surge of guilt that her cover was blown by protecting me.

_She's always putting herself at risk for me, _I thought with a pang of remorse, _always._

I looked back over at Zant.

"I guess she's not as dark hearted as you had anticipated," I said to him abruptly.

Zant merely shrugged at my words.

"I knew she was going to betray me," he said, "it was all a matter of _when_. She was working for Daphnes when she came into my company."

_It was just as she said, _I thought, looking over at Saria again, _you're no liar or fraud at all Sar._

Zant saw the expression on my face and narrowed his eyes again.

"It's just as I suspected," he said with a subtle nod.

I turned my attention back to him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.

Zant crossed his long arms over his chest.

"Tell me first knight, are you in love with this woman?" he asked me point blank.

I took in a deep, unsettled breath and glared at him angrily. I probably should have lied, because I knew I gave myself away just then.

Zant nodded and smirked again.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said, then snickered and added, "my niece isn't going to like that very much."

_This cocky... _I didn't allow myself to finish.

"Drop dead!" I blurted audaciously.

Zant laughed at my remark.

"I wouldn't say that too loud," he said to me, as if my words had some hidden irony, "you know what they say about what goes around comes around."

I looked at him flummoxed.

_What? _I thought.

I blinked hard when the build up of blood inside my head was beginning to get too great. I was starting to get dizzy.

_If I don't get down soon, I may blow a vessel in my head, _I thought.

Zant saw what I was trying to do and smirked.

"Feeling a little heavy headed?" he asked me sarcastically.

I glared at him and didn't answer.

"Don't worry," he said to me, "it will all be over soon."

After saying that, Zant stepped back several feet and snapped his fingers. From around the edge of the road impasse, a Twili and a mountain man came over and underneath where Saria and I were hanging. They rolled away a veneer of foliage glued to a leather canvass. Underneath it was a circle shaped, sixteen feet by sixteen feet, gridlock iron gate. The mountain man and the Twili quickly cleared the way of the gate, and Zant pulled from his pocket an ancient looking transmitter. It was diamond shaped with a red crystal on the top. When Zant pushed the large red button, the grids separated revealing a deep, almost bottomless pit.

_Great Farore, _I thought.

I swallowed hard at the sight. I then looked back over at Zant.

"You just couldn't stand losing a fair fight, could you?" I demanded.

Zant laughed and shook his head.

"I already told you _twice_ how I felt about that," he replied, "I'm not telling you again."

I knew I needed to do something and I knew I needed to do something quick, otherwise Saria and I were going to die. While his attention was on me, I furtively reached for the tiny serrated branch I had seen before. I grabbed at it, but it slipped from my grip and sliced at my palm.

_Damn! _I thought angrily.

I had to remain calm. I couldn't react to the discomfort.

"I'm just waiting for your little girlfriend to wake up," Zant continued. "Once she's awake, I'll loosen both of the ropes and you can both fall together like the lovers you two so desperately want to be. It'll be a nice clean death."

I got heated just then.

"You spineless son of a-" I tried

"The only one _dropping_ dead here is you," he interrupted, then laughed.

_This arrogant leech! _I thought angrily.

"I swear to you when I get out of this I'm-" I tried.

"But you won't get out of it first knight," Zant interrupted me again, "and with you and the dark maiden gone there will be no more eyes and ears for Daphnes. My strike will be clean against him."

I was ready to lunge at him, but I knew there was nothing I could do at the moment. I was at an extreme disadvantage. I looked over at Saria again, and as if on cue, she started coming to.

_Oh no, _I thought of the irony, _please Saria don't wake up yet._

Zant glanced at her and smirked.

"Looks like the celebration might start sooner than I thought," he said.

Zant then looked back over at me.

"It's a shame really," he said quietly, "I was going to make her my queen too. Ah well, it's no matter, I'll just have to find another. I think I have more of an affinity for Twili women anyway."

I looked at him with a brazen expression, he merely smiled, and then sarcastically saluted at me.

"Farewell first knight of Hyrule, and former future king," he said to me, "it was an honor to face you in combat. It's too bad we can't do it again."

_Oh, we will, you asshole. _I thought angrily.

With that, Zant and his two helpers turned and walked away from the pit. A moment later however, two sounds like a zipping whip precluded the air.

_What the…? _I thought.

I looked over to where Zant and his henchmen were standing, realizing the sound was coming from the release of several arrows being shot by the mountain man. I braced myself, thinking they were going to pierce my gut, but was surprised when I felt nothing.

_Where'd they go? _I wondered.

I looked around, but then up at the branch Saria and I were hanging from. I felt my eyes widened when I realized why the arrows had been shot.

_Oh no, _I thought feeling my stomach drop, if that was possible.

The arrows plucked the rope and serrated the threading of the noose. The archer had done the same to Saria's noose as well. In fact, it seemed as if hers were dethreading faster. I looked over at Zant in disbelief.

"You bastard!" I growled, not knowing what else to say.

Zant didn't even flinch.

"Traitor's are always dealt with harsher," he said to me simply, "you know that first knight."

Zant smirked at me once more, before turning and cuing his henchmen to leave. When they left, I twirled with my hands feverishly, trying to grab for the branch that was just within my reach.

"Come on," I urged myself, nearly grabbing the foliage.

As if at my beckoning, Saria moaned softly, then blinked slowly. It took her a moment to get her bearings together. However, when she saw the open pit beneath her, her eyes widened. She gasped and looked over at me.

"It's okay," I reassured, not wanting her to panic and finally locked my hand onto the branch, "I'm going to get us out of this."

Saria took in a deep troubled breath and just nodded, trying to remain calm. However, when she looked up at the rope and realized her immediate danger, all her solace left her.

"Oh my goddess," she whispered at the rope rapidly dethreading.

I glanced up at her rope and understood her new found terror, there were only a few threads connected to the tree. At seeing that, I quickly sawed my roped hands on the roughened branch.

_I have to manage this quickly, _I thought.

Tears filled Saria's eyes all of a sudden and she lowered her head.

"It's hopeless," I heard her whimper.

_Don't say that, _I thought, sawing faster.

Saria tried to keep her body still, but she inadvertently began trembling.

"I'm sorry," she said abruptly behind a sob.

I didn't want apologies just then. I knew what that kind of talk meant psychologically, she was starting to give up.

"Sorry for what?" I tried to joke. "For saving my life?"

I sawed faster, feeling my grip getting looser around the ropes. I felt my heart beat accelerate, excited that I had found the rhythm.

_Just a little bit more, _I thought.

"You know I'm not talking about that," she replied quietly, "I'm sorry for getting you involved in this mess."

I felt my wrists getting looser.

_Come on, come on, _I thought, twisting at the course fiber.

"You know me Saria I'm hard headed," I said to her, trying to keep the mood lighter than what it actually was. "Nothing you would've said would have stopped me from investigating anyway."

She tried to smile at hearing me say that.

"That's true," she said more to herself than to me, "you are pretty stubborn."

I sawed through the last obstinate fiber and was relieved when I finally heard and felt it snap.

_Yes, _I thought in triumph.

Saria stared down at the seemingly endless pit, and looked sullen for a moment.

"I-I'm sorry it has to end this way Link," she said to me all of a sudden, "there were so many things I wanted to say to you."

_Don't do this now Saria, _I thought, sliding one of my hands free.

"Don't you start giving up on me," I said to her, wiggling my hand free and sliding the rope off my other wrist.

_Alright, _I thought vindicated, _success._

I pulled my arms from behind my back and stretched them spiritedly.

"You see," I said to her, trying to cheer Saria up, "I'm not so bad at this."

Saria looked at me hopefully just then and tried to smile.

"Wow, you're amazing," she said with a little elation to her voice, "I mean really."

I smiled back, then lifted myself up using my own body weight, and reached for the rope I was hanging from. Saria bit her lower lip as she watched me carefully untie my feet and climb up the rope to the ascending branch. When I reached the top, I turned and gave an 'ok' signal to Saria, she took in a relieved breath.

"And I thought I was acrobatic," she tried to joke.

I grinned down at her and quickly went to grip her rope, but I heard a snap before one of the threads completely gave way and snapped completely off.

_Oh crap, _I thought.

Saria's eyes widened in terror as her body began to fall. I immediately jumped for the rope and barely caught it with my free hand, her body swung momentarily like a pendulum. Saria stiffened when she found herself swaying in midair. She looked at the rope, then to me and swallowed hard. I knew she was worried whether or not I was going to able to sustain my grip.

_Now, she should probably start to panic, _I thought, feeling an onset of panic myself, flexing my arm and trying to get a better handling on the rope with my other hand.

Saria closed her eyes and sighed.

"Maybe it's for the best," I heard her murmur to herself.

I ignored her comment and braced myself by setting my feet against the branch I was on, and propping my back against an adjacent one to me for support. I started heaving her slender body up into the treetops.

_She's actually pretty light, _I thought in relief, _her body is just well defined._

Saria's eyes opened wider and she looked up at me hopefully, but when she momentarily saw me stall she bit her lower lip.

"Are you okay?" she called up to me.

I needed to regain my footing.

"I'm fine," I called back.

Saria apparently didn't trust my tone.

"Are you sure?" she asked again.

That time I didn't reply, which maybe I should have because it precipitated an inverse reaction from Saria.

"That's enough," she said quietly when I didn't answer, "just let me go."

I took in a deep breath, still ignoring her and resumed my pulling.

_Almost there, _I thought.

"I'm serious Link!" she called up to me again. "It was my fault you got into this!"

I gave her a stern look.

"Be quiet!" I snapped, trying to grab for her feet, but they were still too far from my reach.

Saria saw that and took in a deep troubled breath.

"Let go Link," she said again, "seriously, save yourself!"

I was growing tired of her doom and gloom talk.

"Shut the hell up you hear me!" I demanded. "I'm not just going to let you die! Stop trying to be a goddamn martyr! You're going to live through this!"

Saria was a little surprised at the poignancy of my outburst. She bit her lower lip again and turned her attention back down to the pit. I sighed, realizing I should have used a more docile tone with her. After all, she _did_ have a right to be afraid.

_Maybe I could have worded that better, _I thought, _but all that death talk is not helping me._

I pulled at the rope until her feet were finally within reach of me pulling her up. When I had her situated properly on the branch, I untied her arms. When her arms were free she immediately turned around and threw them around my neck in a tight hug. She started sobbing into my chest.

"Th-thank y-you," she whispered in a very broken voice.

I held onto her close for a moment and sighed.

_I was scared too Saria, _I thought honestly, stroking her hair.

"You don't have to thank me," I whispered against her forehead, "I told you I'd get us out of that."

_But I can't lie, _I thought, _I wasn't sure._

Saria nodded, still holding onto to me tight.

"Yes," she said quietly, trying to inject brevity in her voice, "yes you did."

I squeezed her securely for a moment more, then pulled away, realizing we weren't out of danger yet. I looked into her eyes.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" I asked.

Saria took in a deep breath, got a hold of herself, and looked around to map our location.

"We're in the deepest impasse of the woods," Saria replied. "Zant has an encampment right around the corner. We could probably sneak through when they've all gone to bed."

I shook my head.

"It'll be too late then," I said, "Zant will have discovered we're gone and send a search party out for us."

Saria sighed, troubled with that notion and shrugged.

"We don't have very many alternatives," she said, "we either have to do it now, or we wait until they go to sleep."

I chewed on what she told me for a moment, then shrugged myself.

"We have to try to escape now," I said, "they won't really be expecting it, and at least we'll have the element of surprise."

Saria stared deeply into my eyes, not altogether sure she agreed with me, but since she knew there was very little for us to go on, she nodded anyway.

"Okay," she said, "let's do it."

I nodded, but then turned my attention back to the ropes we were just hanging from. Saria saw my inquisitive expression and inquired of it.

"What is it?" she asked me.

I pursed my lips together and shook my head.

"If we just leave, they're going to know we escaped," I explained.

Saria didn't see my point.

"Well..." she trailed, "we really don't have a choice."

I looked back down at the pit and an idea came to me just then.

_Wait a minute, _I thought, _we could... _I didn't let my thoughts finish.

"I think we should let them dangle," I said absently out loud.

Saria looked at me confused.

"What?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

I turned my attention back to her.

"The ropes," I repeated with more clarity, "we should let them dangle so they can think we fell."

Saria opened her mouth in an 'O' of surprise, but then she frowned.

"I see your point," she said, "but it won't work because they won't hear us scream."

I raised my eyebrows at her conjecture.

"Let's just scream anyway," I suggested.

Saria took in a deep breath.

"But what about the reverberating echo?" she asked. "No one's going to believe we fell with only a short scream."

I shook my head, not seeing any other alternatives.

"We have to take that chance," I said.

Saria bit her lower lip and eventually nodded.

"I guess you're right," she reasoned, "there is no other way."

With that, I guided Saria to the descending branch of the trunk to secure her safety, then crawled back to where we were hanging. I reached over carefully and repositioned the broken ropes over the pit. I then joined Saria at the top of the trunk. I knew we were going to have to act quickly.

_I hope this works, _I thought.

"On three," I whispered.

Saria nodded, waiting for my cue.

"One...two...three!" I said.

After the countdown, we both screamed as loud as we could for as long as we could. I think it may have been enough.

"Let's get out of here," Saria said to me, quickly beginning her descent down the tree, "come on."

I followed after her. When we reached the ground, we immediately hid behind a boulder on the opposite side of the alcove. It was just in time too, because a torch bearing mountain man was heading over the impasse to the clearing where we were. When he saw that our bodies were gone, he immediately turned and ran in the opposite direction in which he came.

_Oh no, _I thought.

"Great," I muttered sarcastically.

Saria put her forefinger to my lips.

"Shh," she hushed me.

Afterwards, she pushed up against me to move me farther into the shadows of the big rock. When the henchman returned with Zant, I held Saria close so she would be in the shadows as well. I didn't want the shine of the moonlight giving our position away because of the glint caught in her hair.

"They fell boss," the man was saying, "it was a little sooner than we thought, but they're gone."

Zant looked down into the pit, then around the area disingenuously. It was obvious he had other thoughts on the matter.

"Did you search the perimeter?" he asked the henchman.

The henchman looked at Zant flummoxed, but then hesitated because he hadn't thought to do that.

"No, my lord," the mountain man stated honestly with a shrug, "they fell to their deaths."

Zant averted his gaze from the pit to the man disgruntled.

"And do you know that for a certainty you numbskull?" Zant demanded.

I had to give Zant credit, he was definitely perceptive.

The mountain man looked at Zant surprised.

"I heard them scream," the mountain man replied simply.

Zant groaned upset. "That's not what I meant!" he snapped with growing impatience. "Did you see them fall?"

The mountain man swallowed hard and shook his head no. If I had been that man standing there, I would have lied. There was no telling how this was going to go for him now.

"You were supposed to be watching them!" Zant said angrily.

The mountain man stepped back. "I had to take a leak boss," he said, "I couldn't hold it."

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

_Oh crap, _I thought, feeling for the guy, _poor choice of words._

Zant look at him in disbelief with his reasoning. "You had to what?" he demanded.

"I had to-" the man tried.

"I heard you the first time!" Zant interrupted in fiery contempt. "You're a damn fool!"

The mountain man looked uneasy just then.

Zant closed his eyes in frustration. "You couldn't hold it," he repeated, more to himself than to the mountain man, "or perhaps just peed in front of them?"

The mountain man took another step back. "I heard them scream boss," he tried to reason.

Zant fell silent, and that's when I knew the poor man was doomed.

_Just be quiet, _I thought, wanting to help the man out.

"They were just right here," he was saying to Zant, uncomfortable with the sudden silence.

Zant took in an irritated breath. "I know that you imbecile, I was just in here with them!" he snapped. "Why the hell did you leave?"

The henchman shrugged nervously. "I told you I had to-" he tried again.

"-take a leak," Zant finished for him.

_Don't say anything else, _I thought, wishing I could transfer my thoughts to the man.

There was growing menace in Zant's voice. Zant closed his eyes and groaned disquietedly.

"I-I don't get it," the henchman went on, shaking his head.

_Man just shut up, _I thought with irritation, _you're digging a faster grave._

Zant took in a deep frustrated breath.

"There are a great many things you don't get, you idiot!" Zant replied, then backhanded the man across the face.

I tried to cover Saria's ears. I didn't want her to have to hear Zant's abusive antics any more than she had to. However, given her circumstances I was sure she heard a lot worse. The man looked at Zant shocked and rubbed his sore cheek. He then looked over down at the pit confused.

"They must have fell boss," he said again, trying to make some conjecture behind the disappearance. "They had to of."

"Did you hear a scream you fool?" Zant snapped.

The man looked confused. "Yes, that's what I just told you, I don't understand-" the man tried.

Zant stepped towards him. "A continuous scream you idiot!" Zant interrupted. "One of extreme terror because you know you're about to die!"

Zant got extremely exasperated just then. The poor mountain man stepped back again.

"I didn't hear _that_ kind of scream boss, but-" the man tried.

Zant looked at him menacingly. "You want to know what _that kind of scream sounds like _when you fall in a pit?" he threatened.

The poor henchman's eyes widened in horror.

"No boss I wasn't questioning you, I was just-" the henchman tried again.

Zant picked the man up by the collar of his shirt.

"Maybe you can come back and tell me if you see them!" Zant said, then threw the man over the side.

_Oh my goddess! _I thought.

Saria gasped and buried her head in my shoulder. I couldn't lie, I was shocked Zant just killed that man over something as slight as semantics.

_That poor guy didn't stand a chance, _I thought with a pang of remorse.

The man's screams echoed throughout the expanse, until they finally abated with a sickening thud. I winced at the sound.

"You see," Zant said to himself, "it's supposed to sound like _that_."

Saria gripped onto me tight after hearing him say that, she was trembling in fear. I held onto her securely, and pulled her closer to the shadow of the rock.

_She knew how close that was to being her, _I thought, understanding her fear. _I can't believe she was forced to live in such proximity with someone like Zant for so long._

"It's okay," I whispered, "I've got you."

Saria merely nodded and closed her eyes.

Zant then spit into the pit and grunted with anger. He turned and went back to his encampment. When it was a little safer to move, I let Saria go and looked into her face.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

Saria nodded, then tried to shake her anxiety off.

"I'm fine," she said softly, and tried to smile.

I caressed her cheek in reassurance, before heading out to the clearing. I scanned the area and saw that the only way out was through the encampment Zant had set up through the impasse. I turned back to Saria.

"Do you know another way out of here?" I asked her.

She bit her lower lip thoughtfully.

"Unfortunately, the only _other_ way out of here is through that pit," she told me.

I looked at her confused.

"What?" I asked flummoxed.

Saria nodded, understanding the inquiry.

"At the bottom is a tunnel that leads to a huge gorge near Kakariko," she replied. "I think this pit used to be an old well and the gorge used to be filled with water. It's the only explanation that makes sense."

I looked at her still confused.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

Saria nodded.

"I took the tunnel in Kakariko to see where it led," she stated, "it led me here."

I nodded surprised.

"Oh," I replied.

Saria looked past me to the impasse.

"What's the plan?" she asked, getting back on track.

I had to think quick.

"We have to sneak past everyone," I replied simply.

She gave me an oddball stare.

"That's it?" she asked.

I shrugged, not seeing any other way.

"What else is there?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

Saria sighed, seeing the point.

"Well, then you better let me lead the way," she said, "I know the encampment well."

I nodded.

"Alright," I said.

We headed through the impasse and stopped short when we entered the clearing. Zant's camp was a cluster of twenty or so tents surrounded by a barbwire fence. There were two lookout towers at the north and south end of the premises. In the center of the camp, surrounded by a ring of fire, was a large black and red treasure chest. I looked at the fixture as an oddity of the encampment, because it seemed out of place. About two hundred and fifty feet north of our vantage point was the exit leading back to the village of Ordon.

_That's where we need to get to, _I thought, knowing we had to tread softly.

Saria and I headed over a short pathway, but stopped momentarily behind the south tower when we saw Zant addressing his men.

"The prisoners have escaped," Zant was saying. "Anyone who finds and brings them back alive will get ten thousand rupees."

I felt my mouth drop after hearing that.

_Ten thousand rupees? _I thought in disbelief. _That's incentive enough for anyone._

"It looks like this is going to be harder than we thought," I heard Saria mutter.

"Yeah," I agreed in absence.

The men in Zant's camp quickly dispersed and headed into the clearing Saria and I just retreated from. We laid low near a thicket of tied sticks as the men swarmed over the impasse.

"Let's go while they're all occupied," I whispered.

Saria nodded, then got on all fours and started crawling on the outer canthus of the backside of the tents. I followed behind her. We had to stop several times before we were at the halfway point. The tension in the air was palpable, my heart was beating at a thousand beats per second, I couldn't believe all of this was taking place in one day.

_I'm sleeping in tomorrow, _I pondered, trying to inject brevity in my thoughts.

Saria began crawling again after several shadows passed by heading south. We were nearly home free, when all of a sudden the entrance was barricaded. Saria halted in her tracks unsure of what to do.

"Damn it!" I heard her mutter.

"What is it?" I asked her.

She sighed and looked over her shoulder back at me.

"The exit is blocked," she whispered to me.

About twenty four men were standing watch with clubs and swords. Even with as skilled as Saria and I both were, there was no way we could take them _all _out and still have enough stamina to keep going.

_Improvise, _I thought.

"We need a distraction," I said to her.

Saria shrugged, knowing that was the case already.

"Yeah, but what?" she demanded in a low voice.

I reached for my pouch, but then realized I didn't bring it.

_Crap, _I thought, _I need a bomb._

"Where's the artillery tent?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

Saria shook her head.

"It's on the other side," she replied, "if we move we'll be spotted and then it will all be over."

I sighed, trying to figure out how we were going remove those men before more reinforcements arrived.

_What are we going to do now? _I wondered.

"You wouldn't happen to have a bomb would you?" I asked, assuming it would be a futile question.

Saria turned and gave me an obvious stare, but then her face broke into a look of puzzlement.

"Wait a minute," she said lowly.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at her hopefully.

"Do you have something?" I asked.

Saria nodded.

"I might," she replied.

Saria reached into the back pocket of the pants she was wearing and pulled out a handkerchief with a tiny bag of serpentine powder. It was a combination of charcoal from willow extract, sulfur, and potassium nitrate.

_It smells just like cannon residue, _I thought.

"I have some propellant powder here," she divulged, "all I need is to mix it and it will cause an explosion."

I looked at her surprised.

"Why are you carrying that?" I couldn't help but ask.

Saria shrugged.

"I was living in Ordon," she said simply.

After seeing what I saw in that village, I could honestly deduce that I didn't blame her. It made plenty of sense.

_I'd probably have a stock pile, _I thought.

"Enough said," I replied, then crawled up next to her.

"We should probably prepare it in some kind of liquefaction," she suggested, "that way the explosion will be delayed and it won't blow up in our hands."

I nodded.

"That's a good idea," I agreed.

I looked around and saw some sodden foliage near my elbow.

"This should work," I said, picking up the wet leaves and ringing them out over the prepared mixture.

Saria then took a stick and blended the components carefully together. Once that was done, I stood up behind the tent for cover, squeezed the contents in my hand, and threw the material towards the barrage of henchmen. I immediately readied for impact, covered Saria's body with my own to protect her, and waited. Her cheeks flushed at the closeness. I smirked at her reaction.

"You still blush even when we're in danger," I joked.

She grinned back.

"I told you I can't help it," she replied.

We waited several minutes, before the sound barrier was interrupted by a loud explosion.

_Bingo, _I thought.

"What the hell was that?" one of the men shouted.

"A bomb!" another said.

"My clothes are on fire!" another man shouted.

"Don't just stand there you idiot!" the first man said to him. "Get on the ground and roll!"

The man finally obeyed, but soon after chaos ensued. The men around the barricade quickly dispersed and there was pandemonium everywhere. Men were running to get water, trying to help the injured, trying to save themselves, trying to report to Zant, trying not to report to Zant; it was chaos. That was the perfect opportunity for Saria and I to escape.

"Go now!" I ordered, hurrying her up with my hand at her back.

Saria quickly hurried through the middle of the mayhem virtually unseen. She accelerated when she saw the barricade, jumped over it, and then rolled into a standing position. She turned looking for me through the crowd, then waved to me when she saw me.

_'Hurry up!'_ she mouthed to me.

I followed after Saria, secretly wishing I was shorter, my height was proving to be a hindrance. I had to hunch over and run through the crowd without really knowing where I was heading. On my way out, I bumped into a henchman.

"Watch where you're going!" he snapped.

"Uh...sorry," I muttered, and tried to get past him, but he blocked my path.

"Wait a minute," he said, then his eyes got wide, "you're the prisoner!"

Saria looked at me in panic, and I immediately punched the man in his mouth. The man's cry alerted everyone's attention to me.

_Great, _I thought with sarcasm, then took off running.

I jumped over the barricade and grabbed Saria's hand. We sprinted toward the village. A group of men instantly started following after us. We were near the exit of Ordon when out of nowhere Zant teleported in front of us.

"Leaving so soon?" he taunted quietly.

_Damn it! _I thought, swallowing hard.

Saria's eyes widened and her stomach turned to knots. She squeezed my hand in nervousness.

"We just have to get past him to the bridge," she divulged to me suddenly, "he can't teleport outside of this village!"

Zant narrowed his eyes at her.

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone," he said to her with a creepy kind of indifference.

I turned and saw his henchmen starting to fill the village square.

_Great, _I thought sardonically, _this is not going to fair well!_

"Tell your men to stand down!" I demanded. "Let's just fight you and me!"

Zant just stared at me.

"If you're still on that fair non-" he started.

"We'll fight in the Twilight Realm," I interrupted. "Your turf, your rules."

Saria looked at me surprised.

"What?" she said confused.

I looked at her from my periphery.

"Trust me," I reassured.

She swallowed hard and nodded, she glanced back over at Zant. He was staring at me suspiciously.

"You want to fight in twilight just like that, huh?" he said to me with open distrust.

I nodded.

"Just like that," I repeated.

Zant stared at me hard for a few moments before finally agreeing.

"Fine," he replied, then raised his hand in the air to summon a portal.

I turned to Saria quickly.

"When you see me disappear I want you to run for the bridge," I instructed in a hurry.

Saria's eyes widened.

"What about you?" she asked worried.

"Don't worry about me," I replied, "just do as I said."

Saria bit her lower lip and nodded.

"Okay," she said a little frightened.

I tried to reassure her, and squeezed her hand affectionately.

"I'll be okay," I said, "I came here to get you you. I wouldn't just leave you."

Saria tried to smile when she heard that.

"You better be okay," she said.

I couldn't say anything else to her, because the light demarcation had taken into effect and Saria's body had transfigured into a tear drop of light. That familiar agonizing pain over took me momentarily as I was forced onto all fours and my body packed on four hundred extra pounds of muscle. My fangs curled down onto my chin and I howled loudly once the transformation was over.

_It isn't so bad once you get used to it, _I thought.

Zant didn't commence his stance of aku soku zan. Instead, he stood and held his sword out in front of him and commenced the stance of _Istunka_.

_Istunka_ was another Hylian fighting style usually engaged with sticks. Swords were used once the style had been mastered. It was an aggressive, blunt form of fighting, and if the opposing fighter was not careful they could easily find themselves bludgeoned to death.

I, however, had other plans. I was not planning on fighting.

_I just need a distraction for a moment, _I thought.

I understood what Saria meant when she said Zant couldn't teleport outside of Ordon. When the light demarcation became evident it didn't pass the bridge. Zant could only teleport where there were strong gradients for twilight, and Ordon was the known central hub.

_There must be others, _I thought, _that must be what Zant is trying to do, figure out how to spread the boundaries of the twilight to other locations._

I couldn't worry about that in its non-immediacy at the moment, but it was still important for me to know.

_I hope Saria ran for it already, _I thought suddenly, ready to go through with my end of the plan, _I have to time this right._

Zant lunged at me and I dodged his attack, I then veered to his right and headed past him. He turned around and looked at me confused, until he realized what I was doing. I was heading for the casted light of Hyrule.

"Come back here you cowardly bastard!" Zant snapped and quickly followed after me.

I didn't turn around. I was close to the light when suddenly I saw a flash of green before my eyes. Saria had safely made it across the bridge.

_I guess maybe there is some honor in Zant's men, _I thought, _none of them attacked Saria._

My heart accelerated at the sight of her being okay. I saw her turn around on the bridge, anxiously awaiting my reappearance. I knew she couldn't see me.

_I'm coming! _I thought, speeding up my pace at the sight of her. _I'm coming!_

However, my reverie was short lived, when out of nowhere Zant teleported in front of me right before I could cross to the other side. I halted and immediately and showed my fangs.

_If it's a fight you want it's a fight you're going to get! _I thought.

"It's not going to be that easy," Zant said, then broke into a creepy smile, "I'm going to bathe in your blood once this is all over."

I didn't reply, I waited for him to strike.

Zant resumed the _Istunka _stance.

I set my paws.

I waited.

Zant posed.

I pivoted my paws into the soil.

Zant struck.

I leapt out of his strike zone, and incised my canines into his trapezius muscle, or at least I thought it was his trapezius muscle. When I saw my attack had no effect on his anatomy, I headed past him to the bridge. Zant turned around and attempted one last mid-aerial strike. He grazed my left back leg, but not enough to stop me. I leapt out of the twilight onto the bridge. Saria's eyes grew when she saw my sudden reappearance. I quickly grabbed her hand and hurried across the bridge.

Zant looked after us heated. He wouldn't leave the demarcation of light.

"You tell Daphnes I'm going to have his head!" Zant screamed. "I'm going to have that bastard's head!"

_Sure, _I thought sarcastically, _that brash manner runs in the family._

I held onto Saria's hand tight and ran out of Ordon and the forest for good.

_You're never coming back here Saria, _I thought, _never._

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><p><strong><em>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 17 will be out soon!<em>**


	17. Chapter 17

**Inspirations: the word piloerection (py-low-ee-rection, it means goosebumps lol) it's a real word, check it out.**

**Original Shout Out: Captain Germany, thanks for being an awesome Link/Saria fan.**

**Author Note: About the Serpentine powder, charcoal is used to keep the concoction in a residual form. That was in answer to Lovewarriors question, and to the rest of you who may have been wondering about it. Side thought: I love saying piloerection in a crowd full of people, the reaction is hilarious. This chapter is a little less action packed, it is more people focused, but don't worry all of you who have come to expect action sequences, I have plenty coming up.**

**Reedited 3/8/2013**

* * *

><p>Chapter 17<p>

When we were about five miles away from Ordon, Saria tugged on my arm to stop me from running.

"Could we take a short break?" she asked, needing to catch her breath. "We've been running nonstop."

I nodded, understanding completely. I was tired too. It had been a long day.

"Yeah," I replied, "that sounds like a good idea."

I paused for a moment and looked around. I saw an elm tree we could rest under and headed over there. When I got to the resting place, I plopped on the soft grass and laid my head against the smooth bark. Saria came and sat down next to me. She rubbed my shoulder to sift some speckled bark away, then laid back herself and sighed. That was quite an ordeal we had just been through.

_I'm glad that's over, _I thought, closing my eyes, _Saria's safe, and I can breathe a little easier now knowing she isn't in the clutches of a deranged psychopath._

I scanned the field of sight and saw our vantage point. We were halfway to Lake Hylia.

_We should be back to the laboratory in half an hour, _I thought, wanting to make sure we didn't rest too long or we would become complacent and not reach our destination.

I went to stretch my legs, but winced slightly from some pain I felt in my left hamstring. I grabbed the back of my thigh and tried to apply pressure. Saria saw that and looked at me worried.

"Are you okay?" she asked me.

I was bleeding pretty badly from a wound I sustained when I fought Zant, but I knew it could be fixed once I got back to my villa.

_I still have some blue potion there, _I thought.

Saria's worried expression never went away. In fact, it worsened when she saw the blood.

"That looks really bad," she insisted, "are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine," I said honest, "It looks worse than it actually is."

Saria didn't look convinced.

"Do you need me to stitch you up?" she asked.

I grinned at her innate sense of concern for me.

_That's just like you Saria, _I thought, _you are always putting my welfare before yours._

"No," I said to her gently, "you don't need to stitch me up. Just sit back and relax for a few moments."

Saria hesitated, but followed my advice. She took in a deep breath, and resumed resting her head against the trunk of the tree. She closed her eyes and I studied her face for a moment. She looked so beautiful, especially with the way her long lashes seemed to caress the apple of her cheek. She almost looked at peace, and I wanted that for her, but then I heard her sigh as if she were troubled.

_I want her to open up to me the way she used to, _I thought, _I'm tired of the both of us having secrets._

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

She shook her head and didn't reply right away. She looked over at me and smiled.

"Nothing, I'm just relieved," she said quietly.

I couldn't blame her.

"Relieved huh?" I inquired, knowing exactly what she meant.

Saria merely nodded, then stared off into Hyrule Field as if lost in thought. The moon was full and high that evening. The light was emitting a glow off Saria's hair, much like the night when she stayed at my villa. I remember wondering years ago if Saria were a Hylian what would she look like. I didn't have to ponder over that anymore, because she was here and her beauty was beyond my expectations. I grinned at her, and reached over to stroke her hair. She smiled when she saw me twirl a lock around my finger.

"You really are restless, aren't you?" she asked.

I stroked her hair between my fingers.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked her, ignoring her question because I wanted her to share her thoughts with me.

She shook her head.

"Nothing important," she replied.

I looked at her thoughtfully.

"What do you consider 'not important'?" I inquired.

Saria smiled again and looked over at me.

"Someone's nosy," she joked.

I merely shrugged.

"I'm a knight again," I said, "I have to be."

Saria chuckled at my statement, but still didn't answer my initial question. I studied her expression for a moment. I thought back to what the scientist told me at his lab about what Saria considered her fate.

_"She said she would be in Ordon, or dead..." _his voiced echoed through my mind.

I looked at her seriously just then.

_There was no way I was just going to sit and let her die, _I thought.

"Did you think you were ever going to get out of Ordon?" I asked her suddenly.

Saria stared off again, her expression turned flat.

"No," she said honest, "I thought I was going to die there."

I got quiet and stiffened slightly when I heard her blunt reply. I wasn't expecting such a poignant remark. I reached over and took her hand in mine. I wanted her to know she could be safe with me.

_No one's going to hurt you now Saria, _I thought, _no one._

"You're safe now," I said to her softly.

Saria looked over at me and squeezed my hand affectionately just then.

"I know," she replied.

I squeezed back and caressed her knuckles with my thumb.

"Zant is never going to hurt you again," I promised, "not him, or anyone else."

Saria's expression turned flat once more after hearing that. Her eyes looked knowingly at me, as if she knew something and wasn't telling me. Even still, she tried to smile again.

"Thank you," she said to me, not responding to what I said. She looked away and stroked a hand through her hair.

I was slightly perplexed by her nonverbal communication.

_Why is she so withdrawn? _I wondered all of a sudden, but then realized how foolish the inquiry was. _Why _wouldn't _she be a little withdrawn? She's been through so much._

I reached over and stroked her cheek, but she edged away slightly from my touch. I sensed she was getting nervous from the level of affection I was displaying towards her. She swallowed hard and gently pushed my hand away.

"I'm okay," she said, trying to be courteous, "you don't have to do that."

Saria stroked her hair behind her ears uneasily, and was quiet for a moment. I was trying to understand where all of her unease was coming from.

_Is she upset with me over something? _I wondered.

"What's wrong?" I asked, knowing something was amiss.

She hesitated before she replied. I was staring at her eyes which were downcast and looking at the grass.

"I hear your engagement is back on," she divulged suddenly.

I looked at her surprised at the sudden shift in conversation.

_News certainly spreads fast, _I thought in disbelief.

I nodded, but didn't want to delve too deeply on the matter.

"It was kind of forced upon me," I said, not really denying it.

Saria just nodded and looked away. We were both silent for a little while.

_Come on Saria, _I thought, _you know how I feel about you._

"It's for the best I guess," she said, as if speaking to herself and breaking the quiet, then added, "congratulations."

I looked at her and narrowed my eyes. I knew she didn't mean that. I knew she had other hopes and aspirations. I knew she had them because I had them too. I loved her and she needed to know how much. Now was probably as good a time as any to confess how I felt. I was done with the run around, and all the other nonsense that was getting in the way of us being together. I had no intention of marrying Zelda. I realized now if I did, I would only bring unhappiness to the both of us.

_It's time to come clean, _I thought.

I took her hand in mine again, however, before I could initiate anything, Saria snatched her hand from my grip. I looked at her surprised.

_What in the-? _I wondered, but stopped myself.

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

She shook her head and wouldn't look at me.

"Nothing," she replied, trying to be casual.

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

_Yes, there is, _I perceived, _but for whatever reason she doesn't want to share it with me._ _She__ must be upset about the engagement, but she doesn't have to worry._

I tried to reach for her hand once more, wanting to tell her my thoughts, but again she pulled away from me. It was then she turned her attention back to me. She looked upset.

"Will you stop!" she snapped all of a sudden.

I took in a deep breath.

_I knew it, _I thought.

"Saria I-" I tried.

"Link I'm fine," she interrupted me, thinking she knew what I was going to say, "I'm a big girl. I mean... I understand."

I shook my head at her rhetoric.

"No Saria, you don't understand-" I tried again.

She reached over and put her forefinger to my lips, silencing me.

"I get it, okay," she said quietly, then sat back again. "I'm actually glad you two finally decided to give it another shot."

I studied her face for a moment. She was trying hard to appear strong, but I was starting to get annoyed with her trying to ignore the issue.

"I told you," she went on, "you two looked good together."

She turned her attention back to me and forced a smile. I swallowed hard and stared into her eyes.

"Saria-" I tried again.

She looked away from me again.

"Name one of your children after me okay," she interrupted, "I know you two will have beautiful kids."

I was beyond annoyed at this point. I didn't understand why she thought doing this was necessary.

"Saria you know damn well-" I started.

Saria got up in the middle of my speaking and dusted her pants off. She took several steps away from where I was resting and had her back facing me.

"Where to now?" Saria interrupted, trying to change the subject. "I think we've rested long enough."

I looked up at her upset. I wasn't having any of this nonsense tonight. I went to Ordon for the sole purpose of getting her out of there because I loved her. I wasn't about to sit and ignore that fact because she wanted to be politically correct. I got up and walked over to her.

"Why are you doing this?" I demanded.

I turned her around to face me. She wouldn't look at me, and her throat tightened.

"Doing what?" she pretended ignorance.

_Oh no, _I thought, _we're not playing that game._

"You know what!" I accused. "_This_!"

Saria was quiet for a moment, as if trying to think of what to say next.

"It's... it's necessary," she said finally and shrugged.

I took a step toward her. There was only a little bit of space between us, but she took a step back. I was going to engage her again, but I paused for a moment and tried to gauge her actions.

"No, it's not necessary," I said to her finally, "I care abo-"

Saria's eyes suddenly darted back to mine. She stared at me intensely just then.

"Stop it!" she snapped.

I looked at her surprised.

"What's the matter with you?" I demanded.

Saria shook her head and looked away from me again.

"I told you, nothing," she said upset.

I looked at her indignantly just then.

"I won't stop!" I shot back in defiance. "I love-"

Her eyes widened in panic.

"Don't you dare say that to me!" she said and took several steps back.

I looked at her shocked. I had no idea why she looked so terrified just now.

"Why are you saying this to me?" I demanded angrily. "I love-" I tried again.

"No, you don't!" she interrupted me quickly, her breathing quickened. "You don't feel anything for me!"

I drew back and looked at her confused.

"Saria-" I tried again.

"Please don't Link!" she interrupted me again and started trembling. "Please don't say what I think you want to say. I'm not _allowed_ to hear that."

I took another step towards her, looking at her in disbelief, but again Saria stepped back.

_What? _I thought confused. _What the hell does she mean 'not allowed'?_

I looked at her truly perplexed, and I could see she was dead serious.

_"...If you keep helping me I'll disappear!" _her terrified voice echoed through my mind all of a sudden, as well as the elderly ophthalmologist, _"...You must be very careful in how you proceed with this situation, otherwise young Saria will disappear."_

I looked away from Saria upset for a moment.

_Daphnes is forcing me to marry Zelda by ensuring that if I help Saria, she'll disappear, _I thought angry. _That's just cruel! That's just incredibly cruel!_

We were both silent for what seemed like forever.

"You know you deserve better than the hand you were dealt, right?" I demanded abruptly.

Saria looked to the ground and didn't answer.

I finally took a step back and raised my hands in a mock surrender.

"Okay, fine, whatever," I said, "you win, I don't love you."

I wanted her to hear it. I wanted her to know how I felt about her. Saria's eyes widened again when she heard me say that. She stroked her hair behind her ears again nervously, then nodded.

"Good," she replied awkwardly and avoided my eyes.

_Good my ass Saria, _I thought.

I stared at her hard, upset that a maniacal dictator was controlling my life this way.

_Daphnes you really are a bastard, _I thought, _I swear to you, if I could kick your tail, I would._

There was a long tense silence between us. Saria looked around nervously and bit her lower lip.

"Shouldn't we be going now?" she asked finally, not looking at me.

I didn't answer right away. I was still upset about the previous conversation. That was not how I wanted that to go.

"Yeah, we're leaving," I said, running a hand through my hair.

"Where are we going?" she asked me.

I took in a deep sigh.

"Lake Hylia," I said finally, "the old man is expecting you."

Saria's eyes widened in surprise when I revealed that.

"Did you... did you speak to him?" Saria asked.

She looked like she was gauging me.

_What's this all about? _I wondered.

I nodded.

Saria looked at me frightened just then.

"And what did he tell you?" she asked me.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

_Why is she scared? _I wondered. _It doesn't make sense._

"Nothing you need to worry about," I replied simply.

Saria narrowed her eyes now.

"What did he tell you Link?" she demanded of me again, a little more forcefully this time.

I raised my eyebrows at her sharp tone.

_Fine, _I thought, _I might as well come clean anyway._

"He told me everything Saria," I divulged honestly, "I know about the treatments, he told me about his past, he told me about your past, and he told me about the restrictions put on you becoming Hylian."

Saria's eyes widened even more. She took a step back.

"You know about that?" she asked in disbelief.

_What is all this about? _I thought, starting to get confused with her behavior. _Why is she so scared?_

"Yes," I replied, "I know all about that."

"And you still want to help me?" she asked flummoxed.

The whole line of thought went completely over my head, because I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me.

"Yes, of course I want to help you," I said.

_I love you, _I thought, _but you won't let me tell you._

Saria stared at my face for a moment as if studying me. Her features softened when she realized I didn't know exactly what she meant. I was getting tired of all the intrigue.

"What's going on Saria?" I demanded.

Her eyes searched my face. She waited before she answered.

"Oh... okay," she said, it was as if she had an 'ah ha' moment, "nothing."

_What the hell? _I thought flummoxed.

I gave her a puzzled look.

"Are you purposely not telling me something?" I asked.

Saria quickly shook her head.

"No," she said immediately, then turned from looking at me.

_She's lying, _I thought.

I took a step towards her, and turned her back around to face me.

"Saria," I said to her, "don't do this. Don't knowingly lie to me anymore."

Saria stared at me and bit her lower lip.

"I'm not," she said, "but I honestly can't tell you."

I hated that phrase. I think I hated that phrase more than anything, but... what could I do? I stared into her eyes and sighed.

"Fine," I said finally, fed up with not getting anywhere, and not hiding the irritation in my voice, "we're wasting time, let's go, it's nearly midnight."

I stalked off ahead of her frustrated, leaving her several feet behind me.

It was a pretty immature thing to do, but in the moment I didn't care.

_I can't get one damn answer from this woman, _I thought aggravated.

Saria looked at me guiltily, then soon followed.

We didn't speak the rest of the way to Lake Hylia. Admittedly, that was mostly my doing. I couldn't help it, my pride was hurt. We arrived twenty minutes after midnight. Saria hurried up the porch stairs past me and knocked on the door of the laboratory. When the old man opened it, his eyes widened in surprised. Saria immediately gave him a hug.

"Oh my goddess, dear girl," the old man said getting a little emotional and hugged her back, "I thought you were dead."

Saria pulled away and looked at him, her eyes were filled with tears.

"Not yet," she tried to joke.

The old man held onto her tighter.

"Not ever my sweet girl," the old man said, getting a little choked up, "not ever."

Saria then turned her attention to me and surprisingly grabbed my hand.

"Sir Link came to rescue me," she said softly, looking straight into my eyes, "he's so wonderful."

I looked back into hers, having to subside my disgruntled nature for the sake of peace. I smirked at the old man halfheartedly. The old man looked at me with gratefulness.

"Thank you," he said to me, "thank you so much."

I merely nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Come on in," the elderly man said, moving out of the way and allowing us to come inside, "you both must be exhausted."

_That's an understatement, _I thought, but knew I couldn't stay.

"I can't stay, I have to get back to my villa," I stated honestly.

Saria looked at me surprised.

"Surely you can stay the night," the old man insisted, "you must be exhausted. The walk to Castle Town is at least another hour."

_Twenty five minutes for a soldier, _I thought, but honestly I was tired.

"I can't," I said, having to decline, "thank you for the offer."

Saria nodded, understanding the decision.

"Thank you for everything you've done," she said to me.

I stared deeply into her eyes. The old man looked between the both of us and raised an eyebrow. I knew what he was thinking, so I cut my gaze short.

_Don't feed the fire Link, _I told myself.

"Do me a favor?" I began at Saria, detracting the subject.

She looked at me in expectance.

"What?" she asked me.

I tried to grin.

"Don't go back to Ordon," I said, "it doesn't suit you."

Saria smirked inadvertently.

"Okay," she replied.

My grin widened into a smile.

"Goodnight," I said to her.

"Goodnight," she said to me, "and thank you again."

And then I left.

~SSS~

I arrived at my villa around one in the morning. I drank a shot of blue chu jelly, washed my face, changed into my pajamas, fell on my bed, and went to sleep.

~SSS~

_A young woman with dark brown hair, dressed in royal regalia, bearing a sword sat on her throne. __There was a battlement of guards surrounding her. _The young woman looked stoic as the gates to her palace were forced opened. _A tall Twili creature wearing a helmet that resembled a bug eyed lizard entered with two shadow beasts as his escort.___

_It was Zant._

_The young maiden stood up when Zant entered her hall. __The first battalion went to strike only to be defeated. _The second battalion went to strike only to be defeated. _I was standing in a corner watching it all, unable to do anything. _The maiden then turned to me.____

_"Why have you forsaken me forefather?" she asked me._

_I look at her confused, not understanding why she was asking me such a question. However, before I could answer, Zant teleported in front of her. __Her eyes widened in fear and she quickly relinquished her sword. _Zant smiled at her terrified eyes and then turned to me.__

_"I will have my vengeance with you or your offspring white knight of Hyrule," he said to me, then laughed. "One way or another there will be blood for the royal family's sins."_

_My eyes got wide, but before I could do anything, everything went black._

~SSS~

I woke up suddenly and blinked several times. I sat up, realizing I was in a cold sweat. I took in a deep, unsettling breath.

_Another nightmare with that girl, _I thought, feeling unnerved that this was the second occurrence. _Why does she keep referring to me as forefather? Who is she, and why is Zant harassing her?_

I ran my hands over my face and sighed.

"What the hell was that all about?" I muttered to myself.

I wasn't expecting a reply to that, because I was expecting to be alone. However, I was surprised to hear a voice say something back to me.

"What was what all about?" the voice whispered.

I looked up in alarm, and was surprised to find a woman in a hooded cloak standing in the corner of my room.

_What in the world? _I wondered.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded.

She took several steps towards the bed.

"Don't be alarmed," she said gently, then unhooded herself, "it's me."

It was Zelda.

My eyes widened when I saw her. I didn't want to seem insensitive, but I wasn't too keen on the idea of her being at my house this late at night, especially with Daphnes having eyes at every turn.

_Zelda... _I thought with a trail, _you and your impetuous ways._

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

Zelda paused for a moment, then came to sit at the edge of the bed.

"I wanted to see you," she replied honestly.

I sighed and edged back a little.

_Not now Zelda, _I thought, _I don't need this right now._

"Zelda it's two in the morning," I tried to reason.

Zelda bit her lower lip and stroked her fingers across my blanket.

"I was worried about you," she said to me, not caring about the time, "you didn't come back to the castle yesterday, and ever since your reinstatement, you've been busy and I haven't had a chance to speak with you. The guards told me you took off around noon, but they had no idea where you went off to."

_That's right, _I thought, almost forgetting, _she had no idea I went after Saria yesterday. No one did, except the ophthalmologist._

I sighed, wishing I could be more up front with her, but I knew it would do no good. Everything was too convoluted, and my true feelings would only hurt her. I needed to wait for this madness to be over before I could come clean regarding everything else.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," I said to her, "I should have told you I was leaving."

Zelda stared at me for a moment, then looked down at the blanket. She was quiet for a moment.

"Where did you go off to?" she asked gently.

I hesitated before answering, knowing that I had to be evasive without sounding suspicious.

_Don't garble Link, _I told myself, _just be direct._

"I went investigating a lead," I replied without looking at her.

I didn't see it, but I could feel her gaze of distrust. She knew I was hiding something. I think she was trying to gauge me to see if I was telling the truth.

"Oh," she said simply, but didn't ask for further clarification.

We were silent after that. I wasn't surprised. Our relationship was strained at best, and I wasn't making very much of an effort to mend it. I wanted Zelda to be happy. She deserved it, but I didn't think I was going to be the one to give that to her anymore. I thought I could, but I knew deep down I was lying to myself. What we once had was good, I wasn't going to lie, however, there had always been a gap between us. A gap that widened over time and we both chose to ignore because we thought it would go away. It didn't go away. In fact, it was made worse by the recent events. Even still, I did want what was best for her, and it was apparent that Zelda's feelings were still very strong for me. The silence lasted a little longer, until Zelda decided to get up and sit next to me. She rested her head on my shoulder.

"Link you have to be careful in your travels," she said to me gently, "I would be devastated if anything happened to you."

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. I knew she meant that.

"I know," I said to her softly.

We were silent again.

I sighed, knowing this was not a situation I wanted to be in.

_Daphnes will have my hide if he finds out that Zelda is here, _I thought all of a sudden.

I decided I was going to detract it.

"Princess-" I started.

She covered my lips suddenly with her forefinger, then stared at my mouth.

"You know," she started in a whisper, "you only refer to me as 'princess' when you're cross with me."

I looked away from her, ignoring the seductive inflection in her voice.

"Do I?" I asked, not really wanting an answer to that question.

Zelda nodded, and turned my face back to look at hers.

"Yes," she replied, her voice was husky.

I edged back, trying to avoid what she was trying to provoke, but she moved right along with me. She ran her hand up my clothed chest.

"I wanted to thank you _properly _for rescuing me yesterday," she whispered to me.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

_This is just so unfair, _I thought miserably, _why couldn't this happen to me eight years ago when I was more impulsive and foolhardy? She knew she could have had her way with me back then._

"There's no need for that princess," I said, trying to detract.

She caressed my cheek.

"Yes Link," she said, "I think there is."

I shook my head, trying to keep my mind in the right place.

"Zelda-" I tried, but she kissed me before I had a chance to finish. I pulled away and turned from her. "Why are you here?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

She looked at me surprised, but then bit her lower lip.

"You know why I'm here," she said simply.

There was another silence between us. It was an open invitation.

_I can't Zelda, _I thought.

"I don't want anyone else but you," she whispered, breaking the silence.

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling a surge of guilt.

_I wish I felt the same way,_ I thought, _but__ this is the last thing I need right now._ _The last thing!_

"I _can't _Zelda!" I said, hoping she would understand the inflection in my voice.

Zelda looked at me undeterred.

"I love you Link," she said quietly, and stroked her hand over my inner thigh, "I told you, I don't want to wait. You have to know-"

_And women say men have no boundaries? _I thought in disbelief.

I jumped at her touch, unintentionally interrupting her words and got up from my bed. I ran a hand through my hair aggravated by what was taking place.

_Why are the women in my life so damn aggressive? _I thought.

Zelda looked up at me surprised by the action.

"I need for you to leave," I said all of a sudden.

I knew Zelda wasn't going to like that, but with her father being as fickle as he was, I couldn't chance it.

Zelda looked at me shocked.

"Link-" she tried.

"I'll escort you home myself," I interrupted, "but I can't do this with you."

Zelda was starting to get upset, her bottom lip trembled slightly.

"Why do you keep rejecting me?" she demanded.

_You know why,_ I thought, _you__r father would kill me._

"I want to protect your honor," I lied.

I knew that was a trite excuse.

Zelda narrowed her eyes at me.

"Don't give me that aberrant lie," she demanded, then looked away, "are you getting satisfaction elsewhere?"

I took in a deep breath.

_Here we go, _I thought.

"No," I replied honestly.

Zelda shook her head, not understanding how I could reject her without that possibility.

"Then why don't you want me?" she demanded, I heard a slight break in her tone.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Zelda…" I trailed, not in the mood for the histrionics at the moment.

She stood up after hearing me say that.

"No Link!" she said. "I want you to answer my question."

I stared at her for a moment without replying.

_No Zelda,_ I thought, _you really don't.__ I don't want to slip up and say another woman's name if I'm making love to you. You think things are rough between us now? If I did that... _I trailed, not wanting to think how pissed off she would be.

"I respect you too much to treat you like-" I paused, trying to think, "an insignificant whore," I verbalized.

Zelda stared at me, not believing that.

"Is that the _only _reason?" she asked.

I didn't know what else she wanted me to tell her.

_That's not reason enough? _I thought in disbelief.

"Yes," I said.

Zelda sighed and closed her eyes.

"Link-" she tried.

I tried the genteel approach, now I just needed to be direct with her. There was no sense beating around the bush about the matter. If her father found her there with me, we would _both _have to deal with his fury. However, I knew the bunt would be on my end.

"If Daphnes finds you here you know it's my ass, right?" I divulged to her in an unorthodox fashion.

Zelda raised her eyebrows, surprised at my rather uncouth form of speech.

"Your… ass?" she repeated as if she hadn't heard me right.

I nodded, not caring that I didn't sound like I was well bred.

"My ass," I said again, "the only one I've got. If your father comes and finds you here, it's gone."

Zelda tried to protest.

"But Link I-" she tried.

I ran my hands over my face in irritation.

_I don't need this right! _I thought.

I wanted to scream, but held my frustration in.

"Oh goddesses Zelda please! Come on! Cut me some slack!" I interrupted in exasperation. "I promise when we get married we won't leave our bedroom for a week!"

Inadvertently, Zelda's jaw dropped.

"A week?" she said in disbelief with widened eyes.

I nodded, not at all knowing what I was talking about.

"Yes, a week," I repeated, "hell, I'll promise you a month, and I'll let you play with my 'Master Sword' anyway you want! I just really need for you to go home, and don't take what I'm saying the wrong way."

Zelda stared at me for a moment, but then, almost involuntarily, her face broke into a smile. Soon after her face broke into laughter. I stood there looking at her, trying to keep a serious expression, but eventually I started chuckling too. My comments were pretty left field. Zelda reached up and covered her mouth as her laughter grew. I continued to chuckle, but I was more enjoying seeing the smile on Zelda's face. I was glad she was safe and that she could find some humor in the situation. Life was too hard without a little laughter in it. We laughed for a few moments more before Zelda finally got up and came over to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and nestled her forehead against my night shirt.

"I can't believe how silly you are my good fellow," she said softly, "but in this rare case, I must digress to your blunt, but affective, reasoning."

I tilted her chin up and grinned into her pretty face.

"A simple 'you are right Link' would suffice," I replied.

Zelda smiled at me genuinely again, but then slowly it faded. She hugged me tight just then.

"Thanks for being strong," she said sincere, "if I had my way we would-"

I shook my head.

"I already know," I interrupted, but then smirked.

That reply got another smile out of her. Zelda reached up and pecked me on my lips. I made sure it was a peck, I didn't want it to go any further.

_No reneging, _I thought.

"I better go," she said softly.

I nodded, seeing that as the best option.

"I'll take you home," I offered.

Zelda tried to dissuade me.

"It's okay," she replied, "I'm fine by myself."

I caressed her cheek.

"No," I replied, shaking my head, "I insist."

She smiled again when I said that.

"Well, if you insist how can I refuse?" she replied.

I then went past her to my closet and got my cloak. Afterwards, we headed out the back exit of my villa and navigated through Castle Town to the castle, bypassing the gate through a secret passage. When we were outside the south entrance, Zelda turned to look at me. She had a familiar expression on her face.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise you made," she said to me seductively all of a sudden, "you better be prepared for a _long _honeymoon."

_This woman... _I thought with a grin, but it soon fade when I felt a twinge of guilt. _There might not be a honeymoon princess._

Zelda took my semi serious expression as something else.

"You're not reneging, are you?" she asked with a flirtatious smirk.

I smiled at her again, not really answering the question.

"I am imbued with the Triforce of Courage my lady," I joked, "nothing scares me, and I consider it my civic duty to let you have your way with me."

Zelda's face broke again, and she giggled uncontrollably when I said that. Her laughter made my guilt feel less severe. I knew one of these days I was going to have to have the _talk _with her. I was dreading that day, but I couldn't keep stringing her along when I felt so strongly about another woman.

_Well…_I pondered, shifting my thoughts, _almost nothing scares me... breaking your heart scares me princess._

Zelda reached up and kissed me just then, and when she pulled away, I knew she was more in love with me than ever.

"Goodnight, my incorrigible soldier," she whispered sweetly, "thank you for being my knight in shining armor."

I sighed at hearing that.

_Your knight in shining armor... _I thought, and let it recede, _we'll see._

"Goodnight princess," I said back, "and see, I wasn't cross when I said it this time."

She smiled at me again.

"No, you weren't," she whispered.

After our goodbye, we parted company. Zelda went into the castle, and I headed back to my villa. However, midway to my destination I halted for a moment. I looked up at the moon and saw it was about three and a half hours before dawn. I had a crazy notion just then, and hesitated if I should act on it.

_I wonder if…_ I let my mind trail, but decided to go with my instinct anyway.

I left Castle Town via the underground waterway network and made my way to Lake Hylia. I arrived in less than twenty minutes because I booked it. I walked down the shoreline and noticed the third story laboratory window was lit. The sight of that made me grin.

_I knew she'd be awake, _I thought.

I paused for a moment and looked around. I saw a small collection of smooth tiny rocks lying next to a lotus plant I planted fifteen years ago. I picked a few of them up and threw a couple at Saria's window.

She didn't come.

I went and gathered two more and threw them before she finally came to investigate what the tapping sound was. When the scaffolding abridged to the pane, Saria poked her head out the window. When she saw it was me causing the ruckus, she looked at me surprised.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded quietly. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

I ignored her concerns.

"I knew you'd be up," I replied to her, "you used to always get up this early to go exploring in the woods."

Saria looked at me surprised at the abrupt memory.

"You remember that?" she asked.

I nodded, and gestured for her to come down.

"Come on out," I called to her quietly, "we need to talk."

I saw her eyes widen from the distance, and she hesitated when I said that.

"Talk?" she inquired with a nervous inflection.

"Talk," I repeated, "I need to ask you some questions about Zant's encampment."

After I said that, I saw her face soften with relief. I wasn't going to lie, I was a little annoyed with that.

_Why talk about how we feel when we can talk about a homicidal maniac? _I thought with sarcasm.

"Oh, okay," she said, "I'll be right down."

I walked over to the entrance when she disappeared back inside. A few moments later, she came outside in a robe and oversized green footsies. I smirked at her innocent appearance.

_No one would ever think she kicked so much tail with that appearance, _I thought.

Saria grinned back at me and raised a brow.

"Nice pajamas," she commented.

I raised my eyebrows, then took a precocious note of my clothes. I didn't realize I was wearing pajamas with tiny Triforces sewn all over them.

_I do look kind of silly, _I thought, but didn't care.

"What?" I reasoned. "It's the Triforce."

She scoffed playfully and shook her head.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod, "no one would ever think you were _first _knight of Hyrule."

I chuckled when she said that, seeing her point.

"Don't knock it," I joked, "a grateful widow made it for me. It was the only cloth she had."

Saria rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Right," she said with sarcasm, "you know very well you bought them in secret."

I laughed softly again when she said that, and followed her as she went and sat down near the water's edge. I came and sat down next to her.

"So…" she trailed, "what did you want to know?"

I stared out at the moon cladding surface of Lake Hylia for a moment.

_I better find out when Zant plans to strike next, _I thought, _there's no sense in trying to talk about anything else. Saria wants to pretend that everything is okay the way it is._

"Did you overhear anything regarding Zants plans?" I began, breaking the silence.

Saria sighed thoughtfully and brought her knees to her chest.

"Well, I did overhear him say something about surprising the princess with a special gift," she replied.

I looked at Saria and sighed.

"Knowing Zant, that could be anything," I said, "but you know it's going to end in a lot of bloodshed and death."

Saria nodded.

"That would be my guess," she replied.

"Did he say when he planned to strike?" I asked.

Saria chewed on her lower lip for a moment.

"No," she replied.

I looked out at the water.

"I overheard a couple of guys back at the tavern talking about a surprise attack," I divulged, "do you know anything about that?"

Saria stared at the lake for a minute, then looked over at me.

"I think he may plan to strike on the day of the engagement party," she divulged.

I felt my eyes widen.

"What?" I asked surprised.

"Zant's been working on some crazy project nonstop in regards to the time shift stones," Saria divulged, "he's obsessed with making sure the temporal gate can be opened within a month."

I nodded, following her reasoning.

"That way he'll be able to converse as much twilight into this realm as he wants," I finished for her.

She agreed and went on.

"Zant took Dirac's technology and used it to manipulate the twilight," she said, "that, coupled with his half Twili half Hylian background, makes for an easy interception between his world and ours."

That made sense.

"Of course," I replied, finally understanding everything clearly for once.

Saria rested her head on her knees.

"Just make sure you keep your eyes and ears open during the engagement party," she told me. "Zant hates the royal family with a terrible vengeance. He'll do anything to kill Zelda and Daphnes."

I sighed, knowing that was true.

"I know," I said.

We were silent for a moment. Saria swallowed hard and looked out at the lake once more. She looked like she was thinking about something terrible. It made me worried about her.

_What's this? _I wondered.

"What's wrong?" I asked, I reached over and touched her shoulder.

Saria shook her head, not saying anything right away.

"Don't let..." she trailed and looked down at the grass, "don't let Zelda get captured by him," she said suddenly, her voice was barely audible.

I looked over at her surprised, and I didn't like the inflection of fear in her tone, but for whatever reason I chose not to address it.

"I won't," I said.

Saria continued to stare at the lake, but then looked in the opposing direction so I wouldn't see her face.

"Zant's twisted Link," she whispered all of a sudden, "he likes to… to hurt people."

I looked over at her mildly concerned. Was she telling me something without actually saying it? I felt my throat tighten at the implications.

_He better not have..._ I let my thoughts trail.

I stroked her back with my hand already resting at her shoulder.

"Did he… did he _force_ himself on you Saria?" I asked.

She shook her head no, but I didn't believe her.

"Are you being honest?" I asked. "Don't lie to me about that because you don't want to appear weak."

Saria nodded.

"I am being honest," she replied, "he never violated me like that," she went on. "In a way, he had a weird kind of respect for me. He wanted me to want him the way he wanted me."

I looked away, feeling like I was going to be sick.

_That bastard's not touching my Saria, _I thought with a hint of anger, _he's such a sick deviant._

"At first, I thought I understood him," she continued quietly, "I felt a little sorry for him, you know. His father whom he respected was killed in front of him, he and his mother were banished to the Twilight Realm when he was just a child, and his _real _father treated him as an outcast."

I listened to her silently.

"In a way, I kind of understood where he was coming from," she went on, "I wanted a way out of my duty because I-" she cut herself off just then and reconnected with another thought, "because I was unhappy. I was allowed to leave, but was forced into another servitude roll, a spy to a madman on a madman."

I couldn't help but feel her references to Daphnes and Zant were spot on.

_They are madmen, _I thought.

"Anyway, that was before," she said with a sigh, "but after I saw Zant kill innocent people for the sake of sport I lost all the remorse I had for him. He was a ticking time bomb. The only person who could cool his heels was me. The people he imprisoned, I let go when his back was turned. Individuals he tortured and left for dead, I secretly gave blue potions to and sent them on their way."

_It was as if she were like a janitor to the royal family, _I thought upset, _cleaning up their and Zant's trash._

I reached over and stroked her hair, unlike earlier she didn't edge away.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," I said sincere, "no one should have to shadow an individual like Zant the way you did."

She merely nodded, but looked away.

"Thanks for that," she said in an odd way.

I stroked her hair again and edged a little closer to her.

"You don't need to thank me Sar," I replied, "you..." I trailed, not sure if I should go on, "you mean a great deal to me."

Saria didn't reply to that.

"Just make sure you protect your princess," she said with a deep sigh.

I looked at her slightly upset just then, I wanted to say something, but used my better judgment and decided against it.

_She doesn't want to talk about that, _I thought.

I decided to change the subject.

"What was in the big treasure chest with the ring of fire surrounding it?" I asked her suddenly.

Saria raised her eyebrows at my question.

"I don't know exactly to be quite honest," she said, "I overheard Zant say it's some mysterious weapon of his Twili father called the Fused Shadow," she divulged.

I looked at her puzzled.

"The Fused Shadow?" I repeated. "Do you know what it does?" I asked.

Saria shook her head.

"I haven't the foggiest idea," she said.

I sighed.

"Great, another mystery to solve," I mumbled sarcastically, then stretched and laid back on the dew stricken grass.

Saria turned and grinned at me.

"That's been the story of your life recently, hasn't it?" she joked.

I raised one of my eyebrows at her question.

"Unfortunately, yes," I replied.

Saria turned full on around to face me.

"You want to know something funny?" she asked me all of a sudden.

I looked at her in expectance.

"What?" I asked.

A funny look came across her face.

"I know this is going to sound strange," she began, which couldn't have been a good sign. "You know that day when you tried to massage my foot?"

I gave her an offhanded stare, not sure where she was going with this.

"Yeah," I replied, not finding the memory too fond.

Saria stroked a hand through her hair.

"Well, the reason I pulled away was because you reminded me of Zant," she divulged.

I looked at her like she was crazy just then.

"What?" I demanded. "Are you serious?"

She immediately started laughing. I, however, failed to see the humor. Saria huffed in exasperation when she saw the look on my face.

"One time Zant tried to massage my foot after a fight," she divulged, "he propped himself down in the same manner as you did, and for a second you reminded me of him, so that's why I freaked out."

Saria laughed again, and I gave her another oddball expression. It made her laugh more.

_I think she's been living in Ordon too long, _I thought with a mire of humor, _she's gone a little cuckoo._

"Wait a minute," I said, shaking my head, "I remind you of Zant in some sick creepy way?"

Saria looked at me obtusely.

"It was a joke," she said. "I didn't say you _were _him."

I still felt repulsed.

"How can you even compare _me_, the Hero of Time, to Zant, a homicidal maniac?" I asked incredulous.

Saria looked at me and put her hands on her hips.

"Someone is stuck on themselves," she replied.

"What?" I said with an inflection of reasonableness. "I'm just trying to understand the comparison."

Saria rolled her eyes and laid down next to me. She stared at the star filled sky.

"Get over yourself inflated hero," Saria teased, "you're starting to sound like Mido."

I looked over at Saria repulsed at that.

_First Zant, now Mido? _I thought.

"You better take that back," I warned.

Saria shook her head.

"I will not," she said simply and shrugged.

"Saria…" I threatened.

She didn't budge.

"Mido," she taunted, looking directly into my eyes, "if you don't want me to call you him, stop acting like him."

I looked at her in disbelief.

"That's it," I said, and sat up.

She looked at me puzzled.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

I didn't prompt her, I immediately went in and began tickling her sides. Saria started laughing instantly.

"Okay, okay!" she cried out through her laughter. "You win! Just stop!"

I didn't let up.

"Are you ever going to call me Mido again?" I asked.

Saria continued laughing, so much so she almost didn't answer.

"Yes!" she teased, which prompted me to go on.

I smiled at her deviously and kept going.

"Wrong answer lady!" I said, tickling at her sides.

Saria whipped her head from side to side and continued laughing.

"Come on Link!" she nearly gasped.

It was my turn to taunt her.

"Let's try this again," I said, "are you ever going to call me Mido again?"

I found a sweet spot under Saria's elbows, and she couldn't stop laughing.

"No!" she promised finally. "Never again! Just please stop!"

I couldn't lie, I loved the sound of her laugh. It was beautiful and had a cadence of joy, but eventually, I let up. I didn't want her to lose her breath. When it was over, Saria sat up and ran her hands through her disheveled hair.

"I can't believe you still remember I'm ticklish," she said with a big bright smile.

"How could I forget?" I replied with a smirk. "That was the only way to beat you at times. You had all the other Kokiri at your beck and call."

Saria chuckled at me when I said that, then jumped up with a mischievous smile on her face all of a sudden.

"Let's go for a swim," she suggested.

I felt my eyes widen.

"What?" I asked.

"Let's go for a swim," she repeated.

I looked past her to the lake.

"Uh… are you crazy it's three thirty in the morning," I replied.

She wasn't deterred.

"Yeah, I know," she replied, "that makes it more spontaneous."

I suddenly felt my throat tighten.

_Great, _I thought.

"Uh… I don't have a suit," I tried to reason.

Saria raised a brow.

"You've got boxers, don't you?" she asked me.

I looked at her like she was crazy, and Saria took my expression the wrong way.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said and smirked, "are you going commando?"

I turned red.

_Damn it! _I thought embarrassed. _I hate how this woman can still do that to me!_

"I'm wearing boxers," I muttered.

Saria shrugged.

"Then where's your argument?" she asked me.

"It's just… I-I mean…" I stammered and trailed.

"Here," she said to me untying and disrobing herself, then grabbed the hem of her nightgown, "let me show you how easy it is."

_Oh shit, _I thought all of a sudden, watching her pull her gown from over her head.

Surprisingly, she had a modest one piece corset on underneath. I didn't know why, but I was secretly disappointed.

_What happen to that _other _swimsuit? _I thought with fond memories. _The green one that left very little to the imagination._

Saria then put her hands on her hips and waited for me to undress.

"Come on big hero, let's see what you're packing underneath there," she teased and raised her eyebrows deviously.

I looked at her surprised.

_I never want to hear another spiel about men being more aggressive than women again, _I thought, _I swear I thought peer pressure would have gotten easier with age._

"Uh… could you turn around?" I asked, not sure why.

Saria looked at me like I was crazy.

"Are you serious?" she demanded.

I looked at her with a sudden inbred modesty.

"I feel like you're going to flip me a rupee as soon as I start taking my clothes off," I said honestly.

Saria crossed her arms over her chest, and grinned at me.

"I should you stud," she teased, then added, "look Link, I'm jumping in. Join me when you pass puberty."

Saria then turned, ran, and dove into the water. I narrowed my eyes after her upset.

_Pass puberty? _I thought, suddenly taking my clothes off in a rough manner and leaving my trunks on.

"This lady has no idea I saved a Zora princess from a water temple," I muttered to myself walking towards the shoreline, "_from a water temple_. Hmph. Puberty; I got your damn puberty."

I dove into the water and quickly resurfaced. The water was surprisingly warm.

_That's got to be because of king Zora, let's hope he's not passing too much flatulence, _I thought, then looked around for Saria.

Saria resurfaced abruptly and whipped her hair behind her in an arc. When she saw me she smiled and swam over to me.

"Well, it looks like Mr. Killjoy took a back seat," she said to me.

I smirked at her ready to get my revenge for the taunting earlier.

"You better have some Zora fins on girl, because I'm about to get you," I warned.

Saria smiled instantly impressed with this 'new' me.

"That's a tall order coming from a man who just gave the inverse of courage," she replied.

I nodded.

_Oh, you think you're funny, _I thought.

"That's it!" I said and swam after her.

A moment later, Saria dove under and propelled from my confine, she then soon disappeared from my sights altogether.

_Where did she go? _I wondered.

I resurfaced looking for her and saw that Saria was nowhere to be found.

I turned and looked out further to the lake and still saw nothing.

Abruptly I felt myself being pulled undertow, when I freed myself I saw Saria swimming right at me again.

I quickly dove deeper dodging her, but swam back toward her and wrapped my arms around her waist. I soon had her in my capture.

_Gotcha, _I thought.

We swam to the surface together; when we broke water Saria flung her thick green hair back, and smiled down at me as I was holding her above me at her waist.

"You had enough?" I asked.

She chuckled and started ringing out her hair over my face.

"You made your point big shot," she said, "you can let me go now."

I released her from my hold and watched her do several buoyancies before looking back over at me.

"I'll race you to the other side," she challenged abruptly.

I smirked at her.

"You're on," I agreed, "and no crying when I beat you."

Saria smirked back.

"Keep dreaming," she said trying to get stationary.

"On three," I said with a smirk, "one…two…three!"

We both splashed into our comfortable strokes, but there was no denying that I had a huge lead early on.

_I should let her win, _I thought, _that will piss her off, and it's always fun to see Saria pissed off._

I stopped for a moment and allowed her to catch up. When we were about twenty feet from shore I stopped again and then swam onto the shoreline when Saria had already come out water. When I got to the landing I propped myself down next to Saria. She looked irritated.

"Looks like you won," I said, trying to sound breathless.

Saria looked over at me disingenuously and starting ringing out her hair.

"What?" I asked with fake innocence and grinned.

"You know what," she said upset, "you let me win."

I chuckled a little at her reaction.

"So what," I said with a shrug, "you got what you wanted."

She looked at me surprised.

"Oh is that right?" she said annoyed.

_She's really mad, _I thought with a grin.

"Come on Saria, don't be a poor sport," I said, wanting to rub it in, "I can't win all the time."

She shot me a venomous glare. I immediately started laughing again.

"Stop laughing!" she snapped, turning away from me.

That only made me laugh more.

"How are you getting mad when it was your idea?" I asked, trying to detract.

She groaned, and returned to ringing out her hair.

"I'm not mad," she said, trying to convince herself more than me.

I smirked at her.

"Right," I said with sarcasm.

"I'm not!" she snapped.

We were silent for a few moments, when the wind began picking up. I saw Saria shiver abruptly, and wrap her arms around herself. I reached over and rubbed her bare shoulder. Her skin was prickly to the touch.

"Are you cold?" I asked, sitting up.

She pulled from my reach indignantly.

"I'm okay," she said, continuing to coddle herself.

I gave her an offhanded stare and shook my head. I knew she was just being stubborn. The wind continued to pick up, and Saria's skin continued to prickle. She wrapped her arms around herself tight and brought her knees to her chest.

_She looks like she's freezing, _I thought.

"Are you sure you're not cold?" I asked again.

"I'm fine," she said with a short undertone, wanting me to stop asking, "drop it."

I raised my hands in surrender at her tone.

"Fine," I said quietly, "but I told you this wasn't a good idea."

Saria rolled her eyes at what I said, and inadvertently shivered some more. We sat there silently for another ten minutes, until Saria's shivering got a little too bothersome for me.

_I know she going to hate me for this, but what can I do, _I thought.

I sat back up, came close to Saria, and wrapped my arms around her waist. I pulled her close to me to try to warm her up. Saria looked at me surprised by the sudden closeness.

"What are you doing?" she demanded with unease, edging away from me.

"Relax," I said, "it was either this or watch you have another piloerection."

Saria's eyes widened, and she looked at me like I was crazy.

"A what?" she demanded, looking at me repulsed.

I chuckled at her response.

_People always get the wrong idea about such a simple word, _I thought with a grin.

"I'm talking about your goose bumps," I divulged with a smirk.

She was blushing like crazy and turned from looking at me. She felt a little foolish.

"You idiot," she groaned to herself in relief.

We were silent for a moment when the wind blew a little harder. I ran my hands across Saria's shoulders and her back. She stiffened and edged away at my touch.

"Come on, please stop," she said to me suddenly, her voice was still uneasy.

I knew she would protest, but I didn't concern myself with it.

"Relax," I said again, dismissing her concerns, "when was the last time you had someone take care of you for a change?"

Saria raised her eyebrows at my bold statement.

"I-I don't need to be taken care of," she said, quickly turning crimson, "I can take care of myself."

"Right," I replied with a hint of sarcasm.

I held onto her tighter, and she stiffened some more. There was another silence between us, but Saria's worry never went away.

"Seriously, Link let me go," she said to me, breaking the quiet, "you're making me uncomfortable."

_What? _I couldn't help but think.

"Saria calm-" I started, but didn't get a chance to finish.

"What if Zelda were to come and see you with your arms around me like this?" she interrupted.

I didn't know why, but her statement really pissed me off. It was a subject I didn't expect her to bring up, and it was something I didn't want to discuss. But, if it was an argument Saria was looking for, she was definitely on the right track.

"Then let her see it!" I shot back. "I'm tired of living a damn lie anyway!"

Saria got quiet at my response, not expecting me to say that.

"Link please let me go," she requested, "this isn't appropriate."

_Appropriate? _I thought with cynicism. _What a damn joke._

I finally gave up my recourse and gave her what she wanted.

I released her.

"Whatever," I muttered to myself.

Saria edged away from me uncomfortably. She wouldn't look at me.

"You say 'let her see it' now," she said, trying to detract the subject, "but you know in the end-"

"You see that's the problem Saria," I interrupted her, not caring any longer, "I don't know! Every time I try to get a damn answer out of you, you clam up and say 'I can't tell you'. What is that? Are those the only words in your vocabulary?"

Saria looked at me surprised at my sudden onset of anger.

"Link-" she tried again.

"No Saria," I interrupted again, feeling this time around I was going to have my say, "I came out here having to force myself to talk about something else when you know back on Hyrule Field I wanted to tell you how I felt about you!"

Saria's eyes widened in panic and she stood up.

"Wait Link you don't understand I-" she tried again.

I stood up, tired of arguing back and forth like petulant children.

"You come out here and flirt with me relentlessly," I interrupted her again, "you wear next to nothing on, you practically called me a coward if I didn't go swimming with you, and now you want to talk about what's appropriate?"

Saria took a step back.

"If you felt that way, you should have said something," she said to me nervously.

I looked at her in disbelief.

"You don't get it, do you?" I demanded of her annoyed. "What about that night in my bedroom Saria? When I said something then it didn't seem to matter to you! Why the hell does it matter now?"

Saria looked at me angrily just then.

"Why do you keep bringing that up?" she asked. "I didn't have my full memory back, and I told you why I acted like I did!"

_Perfect, _I thought all of a sudden, _this is exactly what I wanted._

"No, you didn't," I said.

She looked at me confused

"Yes, I did," she replied.

"You started to, but we were interrupted by the guards," I divulged.

Saria swallowed hard and stepped back.

"You're not talking about that night in your bedroom," she disclosed, "you're talking about that day you captured me after the assassination attempt."

I narrowed my eyes slightly at her.

"Exactly," I replied.

She didn't reply, she even looked a little afraid. I was getting tired of that.

_Why the hell is she hesitating? _I demanded of myself. _I know she loves me!_

"Say it Saria!" I demanded suddenly.

Saria's eyes widened.

"I-I can't!" she stuttered.

I pursed my lips together.

_"You should never be afraid to tell the woman you love you love her sir knight..." _Daphnes' voice ironically echoed through my mind.

For once, Daphnes might actually be right.

_Fine, _I thought, swallowing hard, _I'll say it myself._

"I love you," I said to her finally, "and nothing is ever going to change that. Not a decree from Daphnes, not marriage to Zelda, not even a transformation in twilight. _Nothing _is going to change that."

Saria took another step back and her eyes filled with tears suddenly. She didn't say anything back to me for a long moment. It was as if she were absorbing what I was said. Eventually, she shrugged and took in a deep sigh.

"Well, now that _that _is out," she said, "I guess I should say I love you too."

I took in a deep breath at finally hearing her say it back to me.

_Why was that so hard? _I thought. _Why was she fighting me so badly not to say it?_

We were silent for a long while.

"You see," I said finally breaking it, and taking a step towards her, "that wasn't so hard."

Saria smiled sadly at me and let her tears fall onto her cheeks.

"Yeah..." she said in absence, "not hard at all."

I came up to her and took her in my arms, wanting to comfort her, but for some odd reason I couldn't feel her body when I held her close to me.

_What in the world…? _I thought confused.

I drew back for a moment and looked at her. She was there. I could see her, but her tangible self I couldn't feel. But then something strange began to happen, her skin began to iridize ever so slightly.

_What the hell is going on? _I thought, feeling panic take over me.

Saria saw the confusion in my face and wiped her tears away, she tried to smile.

"I'm disappearing," she divulged quietly.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

"What?" I demanded.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 18 is coming soon!<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**Inspiration: Lambda waves, oscillation, and EEG monitoring at work lol**

**Shout OUT: Tazzy my awesome sister! Who despite my flaws always forgives me unconditionally. She has a heart bigger than the giving tree, thanks for reading Taz! ****SuperSaiyanParadox: Thanks for reading and check out his story "The Legend of Zelda Reborn."**

**Author Note: There is one change in viewpoint in this chapter. It was like that in the original edit, and it remains the same in this one. I have no idea why I did it that way lol, but I see no reason to change it now. ~ZR~ **

**Specialty Rating: This chapter is T-16 for sensuality and adult situations. I'm not going to beat around the bush here, there is a point where the two main characters get a little rowdy. However, it can be skipped as I will put a 'SKIP' and 'DONE' demarcation. ~ZR~.**

**Reedited: 4/22/2012 I added a little here and there; ADDENDUM Reedited 3/11/2013 I got this one done quick due to several requests lol.**

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><p>Chapter 18<p>

Saria sighed and looked down at her now transparent hands.

"I'm disappearing Link," she repeated.

I felt my breath accelerate from the sudden onset of panic.

"How?" I demanded. "Why? I thought it was only if I _helped_ you that you would disappear!"

Saria shook her head.

"It was stated in my contract that if the Hero of Time uttered the words 'I love you' to me I would automatically start disappearing," she divulged quietly. "At the time I didn't understand why, but now I understand all too well. Love is the greatest kind of help you can give a person Link."

I was dumbfounded.

I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe.

_How could Daphnes be so damn cruel? _I demanded of myself.

"Saria…" I trailed, shaking my head, not knowing what to say and feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt take over me.

_I did this to her, _I thought in mild disbelief, _she begged me not to say it, but I did it anyway like a presumptuous fool._

Saria's body was slowly fading, but she tried to smile.

"You know what," she said to me gently, "I'm not mad about it. I at least got to be Hylian for a little while, and even though it was hard, I still wouldn't trade any of it for anything in the world."

I felt my throat tighten and my eyes sting after hearing that. I blinked several times to get my emotions in check. The last thing in the world I wanted was this.

_I'm not going to lose her like this, _I thought upset, _I won't let it be like this._

"Don't talk like that," I replied, "I'll figure something out, I'll-"

Saria put her fading finger to my lips and silenced me, she then wiped her tears from her face.

"It's okay," she said quietly.

I shook my head, refusing to accept this outcome.

_I won't be okay with this, _I thought, _I won't have my life dictated to like this, and then lose her too! I won't!_

"It's not okay," I said in a slightly broken undertone, "it's not ever going to be okay."

"Link-" she tried.

I looked at her just then.

"No!" I interrupted with more resolve. "I'm not accepting this Saria!"

She stared into my eyes and sighed at me sadly.

"I don't think you have a choice Link," she replied.

I looked at her hard for a moment.

_Yes, I do, _I thought.

"Come with me," I said, taking her hand in mine, I didn't care if I couldn't feel it.

I hurried up the porch to the laboratory and went inside. I left Saria in the living room and went down the hall to the old man's bedroom and pounded forcefully on his door.

Saria looked at me surprised.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "He's trying to sleep."

I looked over at her incredulously.

_She must be joking, _I thought in disbelief, _she's about to die, and she's concerned with the doctor's sleep?_

"Do you honestly think I care about that right now?" I demanded of her. "Look what's happening to you!"

Abruptly, the old man opened the door and looked at me slightly shocked considering my manner and my appearance.

"Sir Link?" he asked confused.

I pulled him from his room without giving him an explanation or asking any questions. I dragged him by the arm to the living room, and when he saw Saria's transfigured state he woke up immediately.

"My goddess!" he mumbled in panic.

Saria had gone from near translucent to transparent. The old man quickly turned to me and grabbed my shoulder.

"Go get my briefcase in my bedroom!" he ordered. "Go quickly, now!"

I hurried down the hall and did as he instructed. I went into his room and grabbed a large black laboratory briefcase sitting on the floor next to his bed. I immediately grabbed it and left the room with the bag in tow.

"Is this it?" I asked the old man when I returned.

He nodded and then turned to Saria.

"Sit down my dear," the old man told Saria, "we have to do this quickly before the magnetic resonance completely dissipates."

Saria instantly obeyed and sat down. The old man opened his case and pulled out a circular shaped lambda oscillator. An oscillator was an electromagnetic wave detector. It detected waves at different frequencies. This particular one the doctor was using was a lambda, or brain wave detector. He put the device around Saria's head, then cranked the amplitude to max pulsation. Before utilizing the crystal, the old man quickly tossed me some volcanic rock infused dark rimmed eye protectors to cover my eyes.

"Put those on!" he directed and covered his eyes with a pair of his own.

I hurried and did as I was told. Suddenly, a harsh white light erupted from the oscillator as it reverberated through Saria's skull.

"Ah!" Saria cried out in pain wanting to grab her forehead, but the old man kept her from doing so.

"I'm sorry child, but you can't!" the scientist called out, and held onto her hands.

_Just hang in there, _I thought, standing in the background and feeling useless.

Saria's body flickered back and forth between opaque and translucent. It was as if the quanta in her body were turning at a fixed interval. The treatment went on for another ten minutes. I had to admit it wasn't easy to watch, but I knew it was necessary. Once Saria's body was completely opaque, the old man dialed down the amplitude and removed the oscillator. Saria's eyes were closed, but she was breathing.

_Thank goodness, _I thought in relief.

"Is she okay?" I asked him.

The old man merely nodded, and took in a deep breath..

"She will be," he uttered softly scratching his head in worry,"we got to her just in time."

The old man sighed, then turned to look at me. He narrowed his eyes at me as though he were upset. I looked at him confused, but then looked away because I knew what was coming.

_Me and my big mouth, _I thought.

"What did you say to her?" he asked me carefully.

I swallowed hard, already knowing what triggered the reaction.

"I told her I loved-" I tried.

The scientist's eyes widened.

"Don't say it again!" he snapped at me.

I sighed in guilt.

"Why are you so damn impulsive?" he demanded of me. "I told you, you had to be careful with her!"

I got a little indignant at the old man's tone.

"I didn't know loving a woman was a crime," I muttered upset.

The old man got up at my insolent attitude.

"It is when you don't know what the hell the repercussions are!" he snapped at me.

I looked away from him, knowing he was right. I didn't have an argument for that.

"Why did saying what I said have that kind of reaction on her?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.

The man continued to glare at me for a moment, but softened his features when he saw I had settled down.

"The depolarization device inside of Saria's body is embedded with voice recognition sensors," he explained to me. "Your voice, encoded with the phrase 'I love you', is the encrypted self-destruction mechanism."

I looked at the old man astonished.

"Why the hell would…?" I began angrily, and had to cut myself short.

_Daphnes you bastard! _I thought angrily.

The old man merely looked at me, but then shook his head.

"I told you I didn't understand matters of the heart son," the old man said absently, "but it was a direct order to have that fixated impulse embedded."

_This is all about control,_ I thought, feeling my anger swell, _this was all done to keep me under the king's thumb._

"I can't believe this!" I said upset.

The old man raised his eyebrows, understanding my dismay.

"It is pretty extraordinary," he reasoned, "I still to this day don't understand that mandate."

I looked past him when I saw Saria stir. A moment later, Saria opened her eyes. She blinked several times and sat up. She raised her hands and stared at them like she had never seen them before, she then looked over at me surprised.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

I quickly hurried over to her and pulled her up from the chair into my arms in a tight secure hug without answering her questions.

And this time I could feel her.

_Thank the goddess, _I thought relieved.

Saria hugged me back, but when she pulled away she looked at me confused, then turned to the old man.

"Why am I still here?" she asked him puzzled. "I thought that would kill me."

The old man took in a deep breath.

"I gave you one last treatment," he divulged.

Saria appeared flummoxed.

"I thought you said I received the last one years ago," she stated perplexed.

The old man took in a deep breath.

"You did," he said, "but considering the utter contempt I felt following the circumstances of your Hylian existence, I took it upon myself to have an emergency treatment set up for you when the self-destruct mechanism was activated."

Saria looked at the man stunned, but then a hopeful glint came into her eyes.

"Could it… could it be used more than once?" she asked eagerly.

The old man frowned at her.

"Unfortunately, no my dear," he said, "I only had enough composited energy for one last treatment. I didn't tell you about it sooner because I knew you would have wanted it then. I chose to wait for when this would happen."

Saria blushed when she heard him say the last part.

"You knew this would happen?" she asked surprised.

The old man looked at her knowingly.

"I figured with the amount of planning and the detail instigated by the royal family to hide you, and use you in the means in which they did, that you Saria _must _have had some serious meaning to our resident Hero of Time," he said to Saria honestly. "Cruelty of that measure still baffles me."

I listened to the old man and shook my head.

_I couldn't agree with you more, _I thought.

"Is there any way to completely cure her?" I asked, changing the subject. "There has to be a way to completely set her new body."

The old man was silent for a moment, but then swallowed hard and looked away. He didn't answer. I raised my eyebrow at him with a curious disposition.

_What is _this _all about? _I wondered.

"Is there any _way_?" I demanded again.

The old man took in a deep troubled breath.

"There is a way," he said suddenly, but then stopped himself.

I looked at him expectantly, wanting for him to continue.

"What is it?" I asked, starting to lose my patience.

Saria looked down, as if already knowing.

I glanced at her.

_What's going on here? _I thought.

"There... there must be a _fusion_ of courage and wisdom from the Triforce," the old man said finally.

I edged back slightly when he said that.

_Wait a minute..._ I thought, shaking my head.

I felt my heart accelerate.

"A what?" I demanded, already knowing what he meant.

The old man paused.

"You have to marry the princess..." he divulged finally, but then added, "and the _consummation _of your marriage is the only way you can completely heal Saria."

I felt my eyes grow wide, and my heart stop momentarily.

"What?" I demanded.

The old man shrugged.

"That's the only way to permanently set the lambda oscillation in Saria's new body," he divulged. "There must be a fusion of energy from the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom. The consummation of your marriage will create that energy. That fused energy will fixate the reconfigured quanta in her body."

I took a step back.

"I can't believe this," I heard myself say.

_That's why Saria wanted me to marry the princess, _I thought, _she already _knew _I could never be with her._

I swallowed hard, angry that this whole situation was accelerating out my control.

"I won't do it," I muttered in defiance to the old man.

The scientist just stared at me for a moment.

"Link..." the old man trailed, but didn't continue.

I looked over at Saria, she rubbed her shoulder nervously.

"Link, be reasonable," she said finally, "you have to understand that-"

I got heated at that.

"No Saria!" I interrupted, not wanting to hear her philosophical spiel on righteousness. "There must be another way!"

I turned back to the doctor. He looked at me with pitiable eyes.

"There has to be something you can do," I said to him eagerly, "reconfigure the data, create another waveform, _something_!"

The old man shook his head.

"I don't have the equipment to reconfigure Saria's data," he said. "The villain Zant destroyed the laboratory Dr. Dirac and I worked in years ago. All I could take was what I could carry with me. I'm sorry, I wish there was another way."

I felt my eyes widen as desperation overcame my reason, I grabbed hold of the collar of the old man's night shirt. Saria looked at me in alarm.

"Link!" she cried out, coming up to me and trying to release the old man from my grip. "Stop it! You're going to hurt him!"

I ignored her.

"Why the hell is Daphnes doing this?" I demanded of him.

The old man merely stared back. He looked away from my eyes for one moment and sighed.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this," he detracted all of a sudden, "but it wasn't _Daphnes_ who mandated the restrictions on your beloved Saria."

I felt my eyes widen again as the shock of the realization entered into my veins. It was a feeling that precluded me like falling into a sea of ice.

_Wait a minute... _I thought, _the princess wouldn't..._

"What?" I gasped, loosening my grip.

I couldn't believe it, because now I _knew_ who it was. Saria helped release the old man completely from my grip and sat him down in a nearby chair. She didn't seem at all surprised at the revelation.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

The old man merely nodded, and glanced at me, understanding my disbelief.

I swallowed hard.

_It couldn't be, _I thought, _she wouldn't do something like this, she wouldn't do something that cruel._

"Who mandated it?" I asked in a whisper, already knowing the answer.

The old man took in another deep sigh.

"It was the princess," he revealed.

I stared at the old man just then, just looking at him without really seeing him.

"The princess," I whispered to myself, still reeling from my shock.

The old man nodded.

"Yes," he replied, "I'm afraid so."

_I can't believe Zelda would do this to me, _I thought, _I can't believe she would deliberately try and keep me away from someone with whom she knew I had a strong kinship with._

"She was hoping you'd never find out," the old man divulged, "I was actually supposed to be sworn to secrecy."

I ran a hand through my damp hair completely awe struck as to what to do. Saria saw that and frowned.

"It's going to be okay Link," she said to me quietly.

I looked at her and narrowed my eyes.

"What?" I replied.

She came and stood in front of me and tried to smile.

"Everything will work out," she said gently, "just give it some time, you'll see."

I scoffed in disbelief.

_I've basically lost all control of my life, and everything is supposed to work out? _I thought. _I don't think so._

"How can you say that?" I demanded of her. "Look what's happened to you because of the royal family's selfishness."

Saria looked at me with understanding and shrugged. She was trying to make light of it for the sake of peace.

"I told you she was head over heels in love with you," she disclosed to me softly.

I couldn't believe my ears. I thought that was a strange thing to say considering the circumstances.

"So, that makes it okay?" I demanded.

Saria shook her head.

"That's not what I'm saying," she replied, "she just wanted to ensure that the time she invested in you wasn't in vain."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"It's almost as if you're condoning it!" I said upset.

Saria shook her head.

"I would never condone what she's done, but in a way I understand why she was cautious," she divulged, "she saw what we had in our friendship as a threat to her. She didn't want to lose you."

I looked away from Saria just then.

_Guess what, she already has, _I thought. _There's no way in hell I'm marrying a deceitful woman like that! No way!_

"She knew that if I knew you were back, I'd go to you in an instant!" I divulged. "That's what this is about! Jealousy! Pure and simple!"

Saria didn't have a reply to that.

I took a step back and ran both my hands over my face.

_What the hell am I going to do? _I thought.

I heard the old man sigh again.

"I suppose you could try and discuss the problem with the princess," the old man said. "After all she is the Sage of Time, she has the power to alter certain things."

I looked at the old man thoughtfully just then.

_He's right, _I pondered, _I need to speak to Zelda and ask for a reprieve in Saria's behalf._

"That's exactly what I'll do," I said with a nod, and the more I thought about it the better it sounded.

The old man then stood up and stretched.

"Well," he began, "since you have a new resolve, there's no sense worrying about it now. I think the best thing would be for you to sleep on it and figure out what you need to do later."

I looked at the old man surprised.

"How am I supposed to sleep with all of this on my mind?" I demanded.

The old man looked at me sympathetically.

"It was just a suggestion son," he replied, "I didn't say you had to, but standing here worrying all night is not going to do you any good."

Saria reached for my hand and squeezed it gently.

"The doctor has a point Link," she added, "there's nothing you can do right now, and you need a clear mind to think, you need rest for that."

I was hearing them, but I didn't want to listen to them.

_This is insane! _I thought.

"Zelda _has to_ renegotiate," I said to myself, "she has to."

Both the old man and Saria looked at me with open cynicism, but Saria covered my hand with hers in a hopeful gesture.

"Maybe she will," she said to me, trying to be optimistic.

I stared into Saria's beautiful eyes, and stroked my hand over her cheek.

_This isn't fair, _I thought, _this whole situation is a nightmare._

"Come on," she said softly, taking my other hand, "you'll sleep upstairs with me."

The old man looked at her surprised, but didn't object it.

_Might as well, t_he old man thought, _hell... they're young, and given the circumstances this may be the only chance for them._

"I'm going to go back to bed," he said with a yawn and headed down the hall, then added, "don't say anything _silly_ to each other."

The old man paused for a moment and turned to give me a look of warning.

_Like 'I love you' Saria? _I thought upset. _Yeah, that's silly indeed._

Saria smiled at him.

"Okay," she said, then giggled softly. "I promise we won't."

I looked at her surprised.

_How can she giggle after going through what she just went through? _I wondered. _But considering she almost just died how could she not giggle? Her mortality really is fickle._

Saria had to take advantage of everyday given to her, because it could very well be her last. I squeezed her hand affectionately, and she turned her attention back to me.

"What?" she asked me expectantly.

"Nothing," I replied, then started for the staircase, "come on let's go, I know you're tired."

Saria paused for a moment and pulled at my hand.

"Our clothes are still outside," she divulged.

I looked out the window to the shoreline where our pajamas were resting.

"We won't need them," I said casually.

Saria looked at me surprised and blushed. I gave her a puzzled expression, but then I realized how that sounded.

_I always insert my foot in my mouth, _I thought.

"I didn't mean-" I tried.

Saria squeezed my hand tighter.

"I know what you meant," she interrupted with a grin, "you don't have to explain yourself."

I smiled at her, and tried to put on a positive air like her.

_She is doing the best she can to stay enthusiastic about everything, _I thought, _I need to do the same._

We then headed upstairs to her bedroom. When we got there Saria went straight to her closet and looked through her clothes.

"I don't have a pajama shirt for you to wear like you had for me," she joked.

I grinned again.

"That's okay," I said, "I'll manage."

She turned her head and looked at me from her shoulder.

"You can wear one of my gowns," she went on with a grin.

I tried to stay serious, but there was no winning against her personality. I chuckled at the crazy notion.

"I don't think I'll fit," I replied, "my shoulders and pecks are too big."

She bit her lower lip and nodded. She gave me a flirtatious once over.

"Yes, they are," she agreed.

I smirked at her oogling at me and flexed my pectorals several times in a row in a humorous manner. Saria laughed when she saw that, and left her closet to go over to her dresser to get some dry clothes. She then went behind her divider to change. When she reemerged she threw me some dry trunks. I looked at them surprised.

"What's this?" I asked.

Saria shrugged.

"I was going to surprise you with them," she said, "I made them for you when you went to see the Deku Tree."

I grinned and nodded at the kind gesture, but looked at the garment confused.

"Why trunks?" I asked.

Saria grinned.

"I was going to force you to go swimming with me," she replied.

I smirked.

_Now it made sense, _I thought.

"You mean kind of like the way you did tonight?" I replied.

Saria raised her eyebrows and smiled, but then nodded.

"Yeah," she said casually.

I grinned at her and stared into her eyes for a long moment. There was a brief silence between us. Saria finally looked away from me and sighed.

"Go get changed," she said quietly.

I sighed myself and went and did as I was told. When I came back around from the divider I saw that Saria was still standing in the middle of the room. I looked at her perplexed as to why.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

She nodded over her shoulder.

"Which bed do you want?" she asked abruptly.

I raised my eyebrows and hid my disappointment. I was actually hoping we could share a bed tonight. Even still, I didn't make my concerns known, I just glanced past her and looked at the two beds on the two far walls.

"I want the one next to the window," I stated.

Saria frowned at me.

"I knew you were going to say that," she replied, then put her hands out and made a flat palm with her right hand and a fist with her left, "I'll rock, paper, dagger you for it."

I grinned at her.

"What?" I inquired.

"I'll rock, paper, dagger you for it," she repeated with impatience.

I looked into her eyes and saw that she was dead serious.

_She knows she's much better at this than I am, _I thought.

"Okay," I replied.

I readied both my hands.

"You know I'm terrible at this, right?" I said.

Saria smirked cleverly.

"I know," she said, "that's why I chose it."

I smiled at her logic and we commenced with rock, paper, dagger. I won the first hand, and Saria won the second hand. It was all down to this last hand.

"Rock, paper, dagger!" we said in unison.

I chose a fist, the way I always did, and Saria chose paper.

I lost.

_Damn it, _I thought, _I really wanted that bed too._

"Alright!" Saria said with a cadence to her beautiful voice. "Success!"

I chuckled at her and did a mock bow.

"You are the rock, paper, dagger queen," I said resolutely.

She put her hands on her hips.

"And don't you forget it!" Saria joked.

I smiled at her and watched as she came up to me and took me in a hug. I hugged her back, and sighed against her hair. Saria pulled back and stared into my for a moment. I stared back, but then was cut short when she turned and headed for her bed.

"Goodnight," she said to me when she got under her covers and faced the window.

I stared at her for a moment before heading to my bed.

_This is as good as it gets for right now, _I thought with a deep breath.

"Goodnight," I said finally when I got under the covers.

Silence overcame us for the next forty minutes, but I knew neither one of us was asleep.

_Why do we pretend like we're sleeping? _I wondered.

"Saria," I said her name softly.

She was quiet, but then finally replied.

"Yes?" she inquired.

I stared at the ceiling and took in a deep breath.

"I'm going to fix this," I stated, "I'm going to fix this and we're going to be okay."

Saria was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"Stop worrying about things that are beyond your control," she said, "it'll make you crazy."

I shook my head.

"This isn't beyond my control," I reassured, "Zelda will renegotiate."

Saria was quiet again.

"Get some sleep," she said finally, not replying to my conjecture.

I looked over at her bed. Saria's back was to me.

"Saria-" I started.

"Go to sleep Mr. Killjoy," she interrupted.

I looked over at her bed.

"What?" I said surprised.

Saria sighed.

"You sound just like you did when you broke Mido's clay pot," she divulged abruptly, "you were so worried about replacing it."

I raised my eyebrows surprised at the sudden memory.

"What?" I asked.

Saria sat up for a moment and turned to look at me.

"You were freaking out," she said, "so we had to go to the Sacred Forest Meadow, pick one up from there, and it turned out that he still hated it."

I looked over at her and then slowly nodded.

"That's true, isn't it?" I replied.

"Yeah," she said, "Mido tried to throw the pot at you when he found out it wasn't the original. He was so angry."

I chuckled at the thought abruptly.

"You remember how I got him back?" I inquired with a smirk.

Saria rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Yes," she said with a little disgust, "you peed in his pumpkin patch."

I immediately started laughing again. Saria chuckled at my voice.

"Serves that jerk right," I said.

Saria raised her eyebrows at me.

"You know, he wasn't such a bad guy," she said, "he just went about things the wrong way."

I nodded.

"True," I replied, "especially with what he did for you to become Hylian."

Saria turned and looked out the window.

"Yeah," she said absently, "he really stuck his neck out for me so I could be with you."

It was an unguarded comment. I sat up and looked over at her just then. There was another silence that overcame us.

_She went through all that just to be with me, _I thought, _I'm not going to let her down by not coming through on my end. I still love her no matter what anyone tries to do._

Saria quickly caught herself and laid back down, she turned away from me.

"Goodnight," she said again.

I sat there looking at her for a few moments, then made a minute decision. I got up from my bed and went and laid down next to her in hers. Saria turned and looked at me surprised when she felt the covers pull back.

"What are you doing?" she said with a little panic in her voice.

"Relax," I reassured, "I won't _say _anything to put you in danger."

Saria's expression still didn't change.

"Link-" she started to protest.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at her seriously.

"I'm not leaving," I interrupted in a firm manner.

Saria bit her lower lip and sighed. She looked away from my eyes and took in a nervous breath.

"Okay," she said finally.

Secretly, I think she was glad I was there. I think she wanted to be next to me as much as I wanted to be next to her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me. We laid there silently for at least twenty minutes, until Saria finally stopped pretending and did something I was expecting ten minutes ago, she turned around in my arms and faced me. She looked into my eyes and reached up to caress my cheek.

"Thank you for saving my life," she whispered to me finally.

I stared into her eyes.

"I didn't, the doctor did," I replied.

Saria ran her finger across my collar bone.

"But if you hadn't been there, I would've given up," she said.

I reached up and stroked my hand through her hair.

_If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't had said I loved you and you wouldn't have disappeared, _I couldn't help but think.

The thought made me feel guilty.

"I don't see that happening," I replied, "you're a fighter."

She stared into my eyes and didn't reply right away.

"Yeah," she said with a faraway kind of absence.

She sighed and got quiet again. I continued to stroke my fingers through her hair. I wanted to be a comfort to her. I felt that recently I was acting more or less as a catalyst to her troubles than a solace to her pain. She meant everything to me, and I wasn't going to put her in danger any longer.

_I'm not going to take you for granted, _I thought, _I won't be careless with your life anymore._

Saria sighed against my neck and snuggled close to me.

"I really..." she trailed, breaking the silence, "I really like you a lot."

I grinned at her, but felt a small measure of contempt for not being able to say what I wanted to say to her.

"I... like you a lot too," I replied.

_This is a damn shame I can't tell this woman I love her, _I thought upset.

She smiled at me, then licked her lips. I stared at her mouth while she did that.

_Oh boy... don't do that, _I thought, trying to keep my thoughts clean, _there are a lot of things I want to do with that mouth._

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, needing to lighten the mood.

She smirked.

"You just did," she replied.

She did it again.

I raised my eyebrows feeling a little foolish.

_I always do that with her, _I thought.

"Can I just say I hate when you do that," I replied.

She laughed lightly when I said that.

"I know," she said, "in the forest you used to tell me that all the time."

I grinned at her recollecting out childhood.

"Can I ask you something else?" I asked, getting the subject back on track.

"Sure," she said, then ran her left hand over my bare chest.

I tilted her chin up so her face would be looking into mine.

"What was up with your assassin's ruse?" I asked suddenly. "At times you were down right scary."

Saria chuckled at me and rested her forehead on my chest for a second.

"I..." she trailed and shook her head, "I... had to play a role."

I raised my eyebrows.

"That was one hell of a job," I commented.

She laughed again.

"Yeah," she said absently, "sorry about that."

I stroked her hair out of her eyes and gave her a wayward stare.

_Sorry about that? _I thought incredulously. _Is that all she's going to say?_

"You don't want to elaborate?" I asked.

She ran her forefinger over my lips.

"I wish you'd stop talking," she whispered,

_Oh no, _I thought, _you're not off the hook yet._

"That night in my cell I thought you were going to kill me," I said honestly.

Her gaze left my mouth momentarily to look me in the eyes. She just shrugged.

"I knew you would dodge my projectiles," she replied, "you're the Hero of Time, you can do anything. If you defeated Ganon, I knew you could defeat little old me."

My eyes widened.

"_That's _your rationale?" I said flummoxed.

I felt her right forefinger circle my left nipple. I had to admit she was good. She was not interested in talking about being the assassin right now. She clearly had other things on her mind.

"Yeah," she said simply.

I caressed her chin for a moment.

"You could've _killed_ me," I stated again, as if she didn't hear me the first time.

She breathed against my lips.

"But I didn't," she whispered.

I gave her a slight offhanded stare.

_I think she's been around Zant too long, _I thought, slightly disturbed.

"Right," I replied sarcastically, and edged back.

She snuggled closer to me and closed her eyes. We were then silent again. She casually wrapped her arms around my neck and anchored me closer to her. It was becoming more and more difficult for me to keep things docile between us. Something was going to happen sooner or later, but then, all of a sudden I started chuckling.

Saria looked at me puzzled.

"What's so funny?" she asked with a smirk.

_I don't know if I should really be laughing at this, _I thought, _but I'll let her in on it anyway._

"What was that crazy reference all about?" I asked her suddenly.

Saria pulled back for a moment to look at me.

"What reference?" she asked.

_Should I even say it? _I thought, second guessing.

"That whole 'death is the ultimate orgasm' thing," I inquired.

Saria's eyes widened and she raised her eyebrows.

"You liked that, didn't you?" she asked in a mischievous way.

I gave her an oddball stare, however, I couldn't completely think what she said was strange. I _did_ laugh spontaneously just now at the thought of it. So, she must have assumed I found some humor in it.

_I don't see how anybody could _like _that, _I thought, _but it was an interesting thing to hear._

My hold tightened around her waist.

"I wouldn't say liked," I replied, "it was just... thought provoking at best."

Saria looked into my eyes, before she replied.

"I got that line from Zant," she said finally.

_I'm not surprised,_ I thought, _he really is crazy._

"I figured," I replied.

Saria smirked at me again.

We fell silent once more, it lasted for a few moments.

Saria shifted nervously all of a sudden.

"What's the matter?" I asked of her movement.

She shook her head and then buried her face in my shoulder.

"Nothing," she replied.

Her tone said something else. I knew she wasn't being honest with me.

"Yes, there is," I said, "what is it?"

Saria took in a deep breath and sighed.

"You..." she started finally, after a little time went by, "you don't think I'm _really _like that, do you?"

That wasn't a hard question for me to answer because I knew she wasn't like that. However, when she was in the moment, she was _that _assassin, and _that_ assassin tried to kill me... twice.

"Of course I don't think you're like that," I said, "however, I do believe you have the capability."

I felt her foot stroke over my ankle.

"I suppose that's the only way to answer that question," she stated softly to herself.

I searched her face for a moment.

"You suppose?" I inquired.

Saria grinned, then shrugged.

"Okay, it _is_ the only way to answer that question," she replied with more finality.

I smiled.

"That's what I thought," I replied.

She chuckled a little bit and we fell silent yet again. Saria snuggled even closer to me, if that was possible, and rested her mouth at the side of my neck. She then reached up abruptly and stroked my hair. When she felt it was damp she looked at me surprised.

"It's still a little wet," she whispered to me and smiled, "are you comfortable like that?"

"Yeah, I know," I muttered, "I thought it would be dry by now. Don't worry, I'm fine."

Saria stared into my eyes, then looked away. Her cheeks were flushed. I looked at her puzzled when I saw the color in her face.

_This woman and her blushing, _I thought with a grin.

"What?" I asked her. "Why are you blushing?"

She still wouldn't look at me.

"No reason," she said quietly.

I gave her a slight offhanded stare at her sudden shyness, and tilted her chin to look at me.

"Don't give me that," I rebutted, "come on, tell me."

Her cheeks continued to glow when she stared into my eyes. She stroked her fingers over my chest.

"Your... your hair's not the only thing... _wet_ around here," she whispered to me suddenly.

Saria cut her gaze quickly after uttering that. I raised my eyebrows at her bold insinuation. I was surprised she was so direct with the statement.

_Is that right? _I thought, forgetting a little bit of my chivalry for a moment.

"Oh, really?" I whispered back, stroking my hand over her cheek.

Saria licked her lips again.

_She's going to kill me with that, _I thought.

"Yes," she said, then stared at my mouth, "really."

She finally looked back into my eyes, and I didn't know what came over me just then.

Maybe it was what she said.

Maybe it was the way she was looking at me.

Maybe it was the closeness. I don't know, but something came over me.

_Goddesses, I want this woman, _I thought out of nowhere.

~SKIP~

I didn't say anything else, I just pulled her close to me and kissed her. It was often my practice to start off with subtlety, but subtlety wasn't the mainstay in this moment. This woman didn't want subtlety, and I couldn't lie, neither did I. I wanted to shag the shit out of her.

I stroked my hands through her hair and forced her mouth open in a way that made her eyes widen. She wasn't used to me being so aggressive, but I never let my aggression get out of hand. It never teetered on disrespect. I rotated us so that I was on top because I always liked being in control. It was one of my caveats. However, I wasn't unreasonable. If she wanted to have her way with me, I would gladly let her.

I kissed Saria deeply and hard when her legs wrapped around my waist. There was something about her that was beyond incredible. She was like every dream and fantasy I had about her, only better. I pulled back and stared into her eyes. She stared back, and I wanted to say _it_, but I couldn't.

_Watch your mouth Link, _I told myself.

I was going to have to show her instead. I kissed her hungrily and came down on top of her like I never needed another woman before in my entire life. Saria responded immediately. She wasn't just lying idly and letting me have my way with her. She was engaging me with the same level of ardency that I was exhibiting to her, maybe even more so. She was stroking my hair, and rubbing my back, scratching it every now and then. She was whimpering my name and begging me to take her. It was crazy, and wild, and visceral.

_I never expected you to be like this Saria, _I thought when I stared into her eyes again, _I knew you'd be special, but I didn't know you'd be like this._

"Mmm," she moaned softly.

The kiss turned hot, and wet.

I pulled back a moment.

"This is what you wanted, right?" I whispered.

Saria merely nodded, then kissed me again. Unlike me, Saria didn't pull back or hesitate, she wanted what she wanted. That was clearly evident in how she maneuvered me from being on top of her to underneath her in less than ten seconds.

_My goddess, _I thought impressed, _I need more acrobatic training._

I stroked my hands through her hair as she continued to kiss me. She got a little forceful when she kissed back, and dislodged my earring when she nibbled on my earlobe. She was breathing hard, and acting incredibly impulsive. She pulled back and stared down at me as she stroked her fingers over my abdominal muscles. That glow was back in her hair and that _look _was back in her eyes. She looked incredibly beautiful in the moonlight. She hovered over me and let her hair fall in my face as she teasingly kissed my forehead and made her way down to my mouth. She cupped my face as she kissed me again, but then pulled back to look in my eyes.

"Give me some tongue baby," she whispered to me, then smiled a wicked grin.

I looked at her surprised.

_Is that Saria talking, or is the assassin back? _I wondered.

I couldn't help but grin back, this woman was sexy as hell. So yes, if she requested me to open my mouth and impart my muscular vestige, I considered it was my civic duty. I was a knight after all. I gave her what she wanted. I gave her my tongue.

Saria leaned over me and wrapped her legs around my waist and I stroked my hands up her nightgown over her bare back. Her skin was so soft, and she was acting so impervious. I just wanted to take that gown off her and punish her for being such a naughty assassin.

_It's so hard taking care of business, _I thought sarcastically with a grin, as her tongue pressed up against mine.

She pulled back a moment and stared into my eyes again.

"I lo-" she almost slipped, she covered her mouth with her hand and caught herself.

I looked at her surprised, but then grinned and reached up and stroked her cheek.

"It's okay," I said, "it nearly happened to me too."

Saria stared back down at me and smiled, but then it slowly faded.

"That's okay," she whispered, "I'll just show you."

I was actually anticipating this moment more than anything. I couldn't wait to see how beautiful she really was. However, when she tried to lift up her gown over her head, that innate sense of chivalry in me surfaced and I stopped her.

~DONE~

"Wait," I said and grabbed at her hem.

Saria looked at me surprised, and even a little embarrassed.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

I hesitated.

_Damn me for respecting women so much, _I thought, and sat up with her still sitting on top of me.

"We have to stop," I said and then ran a hand over my face, "not like this. I don't want my first time with you to be like this."

Saria edged back from me like I was crazy.

"What?" she said surprised.

I avoided her eyes and didn't reply right away.

"Why?" she asked clearly confused. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head.

"Nothing's wrong," I groaned and pursed my lips together, feeling guilty for leading her on like that.

Saria looked at me perplexed.

"Then I don't understand," she said frustrated, "why do all this if all you're going to do is stop?"

I took in a deep sigh and looked at her upset pretty face.

"Because... you're not just some cheap thrill for me," I said finally, "I respect you."

She looked a little disappointed after I said that. She groaned in irritation.

"I'm aware of that Link," she said, "but there's nothing wrong with you showing me how you feel."

I understood her frustration, but under these circumstances, there would be.

_Things aren't completely crystal clear yet, _I thought, _I want us to have an honorable courtship._

"I take what I feel for you very seriously," I said, "I can't just take advantage of you in a moment of lust."

Saria huffed upset and pursed her lips together. She shook her head annoyed.

"O...kay," she replied, giving me a strange look, and didn't say anything else.

She looked down and I stared at her pretty face. Her frustrated expression made me grin. I tilted her chin up to look at me.

"Look at me," I whispered.

She was stubborn and didn't.

"Sar..." I trailed, waiting for her eyes to meet mine.

Finally, she stared into my eyes.

"What?" she snapped.

I ran my forefinger over her lips.

"I..." I started, "I want you to be my wife first," I divulged with a staid expression.

Saria's eyes widened and she looked at me incredulously, as if not believing those words came out of my mouth.

"What?" she whispered surprised.

The comment was like a bolt out of the blue.

_Did I really just say that? _I thought. _Did I really just ask her to marry me?_

Saria's eyes were searching my face for reassurance of what she heard.

"Your-your wife?" she said shocked, she edged back.

I nodded and stroked her cheek softly.

"Yeah," I said, "my wife."

The more I thought about it the better it sounded.

_I mean hell... why not? _I thought.

Saria's cheeks immediately turned crimson.

"Link..." she trailed, unable to think of anything else to say.

She was clearly upset and puzzled as to what was going on.

"I'll talk to Zelda, get everything squared away, and everything will be okay," I reassured.

Saria looked away from me after I said that, she wasn't so sure.

"You don't know that for a certain," she said quietly.

I understood her concern, and turned her face back to mine.

"No I don't," I said honest, "but I have to try."

Saria maneuvered her chin from my grip and looked away again.

"What if nothing changes Link?" she asked. "This will have been my only opportunity to be with you like this."

I smiled at her.

"But it won't be," I told her.

Saria shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she said, then tried to get up, but I stopped her.

She avoided looking at me.

"Hey, come on Saria," I said, "you got to have more faith in me than that."

She was silent for a moment.

"It's not you I'm worried about," she said finally, "it's the princess."

I grinned.

"Don't worry," I said, "I know how to handle Zelda."

Saria swallowed hard.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she said with a vague encryption.

I didn't understand what she meant.

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

Saria shook her head again and still didn't look at me.

"Call me jealous, or just plain stupid," she began abruptly, "but I can't imagine you in her arms making love to her to cure me. I'd rather have you now, you tell me you love, and then I'd die happy."

I looked at her surprised by the confession.

"Saria..." I trailed.

She looked into my eyes just then.

"It's true!" she said.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her close.

"I'm not going to the castle to sleep with Zelda, Saria," I said, "I'm going to set you free of this stupid contract you're bound to."

Saria bit her lower lip.

"_That's _the way you have to do it," she said absently.

I caressed her cheek.

"Look at me," I said.

Saria sighed, but then hesitantly looked into my eyes.

"I'll find a way," I reassured.

Saria looked away from me again.

"Okay?" I reaffirmed.

Saria merely nodded, she didn't reply. I took her in a tight secure hug just then. The tension in the air was palpable.

_Let me get her mind on something else, _I perceived.

"Where would you like to live?" I asked all of a sudden.

Saria looked at me puzzled.

"What do you mean?" she asked me.

I stroked her cheek.

"I meant what I asked," I said. "Where do you want to live?"

She bit her lower lip again and thought about the question. Saria smirked at me when she thought of a place.

"How about Ordon?" she joked.

I nodded, playing along.

"You know, once that place gets cleaned up, it'll be really nice," I said matter-of-fact.

Saria chuckled in my grip. She hugged me tighter and rested her head on my chest.

"I can see it now," she went on, "they'll be a water irrigation system, and little cottages everywhere, a convenience store, and a barn."

I nodded at the possibilities.

"I was just recently thinking about wrangling some goats," I replied, "I think Ordon also needs some pumpkin patches. What do you think?"

Saria grinned.

"Oh most definitely good sir," she replied with sarcasm, "because we know every village needs pumpkins."

I pretended to be insulted.

"Pumpkins are an important crop," I said, "we could sell them to the citizens in Castle Town."

Saria chuckled again.

"So true," she replied, "so very, very true."

I grinned at her and squeezed her tighter affectionately.

We were silent again for a moment.

"And then... we'll have some kids," I said breaking the silence.

Saria was quiet, thinking about what I just said.

"I always wanted to be a mother," she said in absence, as if talking to herself.

_I know you did, _I thought.

"We'll have ten," I joked.

She pulled back and looked at me.

"Ten?" she asked incredulously. "Are you crazy?"

I raised my hands in mockery, not understanding her conjecture.

"What's wrong with ten kids?" I asked.

Saria immediately started laughing and shook her head.

"You tell me?" she asked.

"Okay, okay," I said, "five kids."

She laughed even harder.

"I _guess _that's better," she said.

I loved seeing her smile. I didn't want her throwing in the dagger yet.

"You see," I said caressing her cheek, "it's not so bad."

Her smile regressed back down to a grin and she nodded.

"No," she said, "it's not bad at all."

_Zelda will be reasonable, _I told myself, _she has to be._

I leaned forward and kissed Saria deeply. I stroked her bangs off her forehead and stared into her eyes when I pulled away.

"You feel better?" I asked her.

She grinned.

"Yeah," she replied with a smile.

I nodded.

"Good," I said to her gently, "let's go to sleep."

She merely nodded.

"Okay," she said.

There was only an hour until dawn.

_Another sleepless night, _I thought, o_h well._

It didn't matter, I still had to get up early.

I had an important meeting with the princess.

Zelda and I had a lot to talk about.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 19 is coming soon!<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Inspiration: Wisdom- To be truly wise, a ruler must look at all facets of a problem, and find the solution that is beneficial for everyone... even if it hurts a few.**

**Original Shout Outs: Ze Red Spy, ****Norkix, check out "Majora's Revenge" it is a wonderful story about Link's adventure in Termina after the events in Majora's Mask, ****Emily.**

**Author Note: I'm going to directly reference OA's "Visions" a wonderful story about Zelda's journey as Shiek. This is my second time mentioning it, it's that good. 3/21/2013 Thank you once again to the guest who put a fire under my belly to finish this chapter. I dedicate the chapter to you (I'm going to call you Fierce Diety Mask because that what I know you as, tell me what you think). ~ZR~.**

**Reedited 4/29/2012, ADDENDUM 3/21/2013.  
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><p>Chapter 19<p>

I woke up an hour later and looked out the window adjacent to the bed. The sun was bleeding over the horizon, highlighting the sky in orange, magenta, and hot pink. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sighed irrevocably.

_I should have just stayed up, _I thought.

I glanced over at Saria who was still sound asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, I got out of bed quietly and headed for the bedroom door. I turned the knob slowly, hoping the tumblers wouldn't sound too loudly.

_Everything sounds louder when you're trying to be quiet, _I thought.

However, when I opened the door I was halted by Saria's abrupt woken voice.

"Leaving so soon?" she asked me quietly.

I turned back around and looked at her. I didn't understand why, but I had a flashback of me leaving the forest and her waiting for me at the bridge adjacent to Kokiri Forest just then.

_"Oh… you're leaving…" _her young voice echoed through my mind.

She looked like she had the same expression as well.

"I have to," I replied finally with a deep sigh.

She sat up and stretched for a moment.

"You should have said something," she said, "I could have made you some breakfast."

I grinned at her.

"I didn't want to disturb you," I said honestly.

She rotated her body so that her legs dangled over the side of the bed. She shrugged and stroked her hair behind her ears.

"You think after last night I consider you a disturbance?" she inquired softly.

I looked at her seriously just then.

_That's a good point, _I thought.

"No," I replied, "I suppose not."

Saria took in a deep breath and looked at the wooden floor waiting for me to take her up on her offer.

"So…" she trailed, "breakfast?"

My grin turned to a smile.

"I really would like to, but I want to nip this problem with the princess in the bud quickly," I replied.

Saria sighed after I said that, then just stared at me. She seemed afraid for me to leave.

"I understand," she said finally, her voice sounded sad almost.

I didn't like the inflection in her voice. I didn't want her giving in to doubt.

_Come on Saria, be a little more enthusiastic than that, _I thought.

"Maybe we could have dinner together when I come back with the good news," I reassured. "You can make some more of that delicious Hylian bass hot pot."

Saria merely grinned and nodded.

"Maybe," she said, "just be careful."

I stared at her wanting her to feel encouraged.

"I will," I said, but then paused and added, "can I get a real smile before I leave?"

Saria looked at me surprised and blushed. The musculature of her face was almost subliminal, because as soon as I said that, her mouth turned into a wide crescent.

"You would think I'm turning into Mrs. Killjoy," she joked of her semi sullen mood.

I looked into her beautiful eyes and grinned again.

"Let's hope that will be the case," I said seriously for a moment.

True to form, Saria blushed.

"Yeah…" she trailed, "let's hope."

There was a brief silence between us, and I went over to her and knelt in front of her on the bed. I caressed her cheek and kissed her softly on the lips. She kissed me back, but held onto me tight just then. I hugged her back, knowing she was afraid of what might happen. I couldn't lie, so was I.

_I know Zelda is a reasonable woman, _I thought.

"I'll see you later," I whispered, and released her.

Saria stared into my eyes again and nodded.

"I'll see you soon white knight," she replied.

I then got up, hurried downstairs, and out the house onto the front yard where I left my clothes. I quickly put my pajamas back on, and tied my cloak around myself.

_I hope no one's watching, _I thought, realizing how untoward this was.

I picked up Saria's gown once I was dressed. I folded it and placed it on a chair on the porch. I smirked as I placed it down.

_Hmph, _I thought with fond memories of the previous night, _that woman and her swimming._

After I had everything squared away, I headed to my villa in Castle Town via the cave and the underwater storm drain system. When I got home I bathed and dressed in my white tunic. I decided on white because I knew how much Zelda liked me in it. I figured if I began the conversation on a positive note I could segue into what I knew was going to be a sensitive subject.

_Let's hope this works, _I thought, hoping for the best.

I looked at my reflection once more, then took in a deep breath.

_I'm doing this for you Saria, _I thought seriously for a moment.

After checking my appearance one last time, I left and headed for the castle. I headed for what Zelda considered our usual place, the garden. It was still relatively early, but I knew Zelda's circadian rhythm better than my own.

_That woman lives for the sunrise, _I thought.

I went and sat down on one of the benches, trying to organize my thoughts on how I wanted to approach this situation.

_I can't be careless like I have been lately, _I thought, _I need to take her someplace nice, give her the attention she wants, and then continue on from there._

I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to calm down my anxious mind. This was the hardest thing I was about to do. I think fighting Ganondorf was easier than this. Matters of the heart weren't my particular forte, only because I usually never led women on. I was pretty serious when it came to monogamy. However, with Saria's recent reappearance, my whole philosophy had been challenged. The intensity of what I felt when I first saw her, and what I had been through recently made me realize how important honesty was. I needed to be honest with the future queen of Hyrule. She needed to know she deserved better than a man who wasn't in love with her.

_I hope she understands, _I thought.

I ran a hand through my hair nervously and sat up. A moment later, as if like clockwork, Zelda appeared in the garden. She was accompanied by two of her servants. It was vague, but I think she was discussing details of the engagement party with them. When Zelda saw me, her eyes widened in surprise and happiness. However, before she approached me, I saw a hint of a caution in her face. I was slightly puzzled by that.

_What's this all about? _I wondered.

I bowed respectfully, wanting to begin this in the most gracious way possible.

_Slowly Link, _I told myself, _slowly._

"Good morning princess," I greeted.

She looked at me and smiled again.

"Good morning sir knight," she said to me sweetly, then did a curtsy, "what brings you here this morning?"

I smiled back at her.

_Sweeten the pot, _I thought, _compliment her without sounding fake._

"I wanted to see the sunrise from the most beautiful place in Hyrule," I said simply, "your eyes."

I wished I could take that back, because that was corny and awful.

_Oh my goddess, _I thought, not believing I said that, _that was incredibly stupid._

Zelda blushed and gave me an odd look, even the servants eyed me strange after that utterance.

_Great, _I thought with sarcasm, _you better fix this._

"I... see," she replied a little perplexed.

Zelda's two servants immediately began whispering to each other.

_Oh boy,_ I thought, not wanting for things to start off this way, _more rumors._

"Are you quite yourself today my love?" she asked me all of a sudden. "You seem... different."

I grinned at her inquiry.

_Detract, _I told myself.

"Of course," I replied.

Zelda paused for a moment, still unsure if she should trust what I was saying. However, when I came up and kissed her hand, she immediately dismissed any doubts she once had.

She blushed at my touch.

"Well if that's the case, then I must accept your compliments with equal fortitude," she replied.

I grinned again.

"A simple 'thank you' will suffice," I replied.

Zelda giggled softly after hearing that.

"Alright then," she replied, "thank you."

I glanced over at the two women standing behind her, and noticed she was having her servants dictate with quill and parchment scrolls.

"What are you going over?" I asked, changing the subject.

Zelda seemed happy I inquired.

"The decorations for the assembly hall," she replied with a sigh, "I can't decide if I should get lilies, or white tulips."

I looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Get tulips," I suggested.

Zelda raised her eyebrows at my suggestion and nodded.

"How did you come to that decision so quickly?" she asked me.

I wasn't exactly sure myself.

"Aren't lilies used in burial settings?" I asked, detracting slightly.

_You know what… maybe lilies are appropriate, _I thought with subtle irony.

Zelda looked at me surprised.

"You're right," she said, "I didn't even think of that."

I grinned at her and shook my head.

"Where's that Triforce of Wisdom darling?" I joked.

Zelda giggled at my joke and shrugged.

"I know," she said, shaking her head, "you would think I'd know better."

"That's okay," I replied, "you're allotted one mistake with all your perfection."

Zelda blushed again.

_If I keep this up she's going to know something is up, _I thought. _I have to act more natural._

"Um…" she trailed, "thank you."

I grinned again.

"You're welcome," I replied.

There was a brief silence between us before she broke it.

"Why do you look so dashing today?" she asked me all of a sudden. "I simply adore you in white my love."

I looked down at my tunic knowingly and shrugged.

"No reason," I replied, "I just wanted to be presentable."

Zelda nodded in approval.

"You present yourself well sir knight," she complimented.

I smiled.

_I knew this would work, _I thought.

"Do you think you'll be able to free yourself for a few hours later today?" I asked her, changing the subject.

Zelda looked at me surprised.

"Um..." she began, but then trailed, "well..."

I smiled at her.

"Has another man captured your heart princess?" I joked.

Zelda blushed, and her servants inadvertently giggled.

"Of course not!" she said embarrassed, her voice then had a hint of excitement. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we could go for a walk and have a picnic lunch," I suggested.

Zelda's face brightened at the idea.

"That sounds wonderful!" she said with growing enthusiasm. "I would love to."

I nodded.

"I'll call for you at noon," I said, then took a bow.

Zelda bowed back.

"I look forward to it," she said to me.

"So do I princess," I said to her with a knowing smile, "so do I."

~SSS~

I was heading back to Castle Town to my villa, when suddenly I was halted by someone I wasn't expecting to see, Cujo. I sighed irritably at the sight of him.

_What does he want now? _I demanded of myself irritably.

"Good morning Cujo," I greeted him, trying to be civil.

He looked at me and narrowed his eyes.

"You know you're going to get what's coming to you," he warned with an encryption to his words all of a sudden.

I sighed and shook my head

_He's starting early, _I thought indirectly of his mental health.

"Oh really?" I stated uninterested. "And why is that?"

Cujo took a step towards me.

"Because you're considered a damn traitor!" he exclaimed, and his tone actually captured the attention of several town's people passing by.

I looked to the spectators with reassurance and raised my hand to dispel their looks of concern.

"Don't worry," I said to them, "I know him."

Several of the people looked between me and Cujo still not convinced, but given it was me, they went about their business. I turned my attention back to the bald eccentric.

_What is this all about? _I wondered, suddenly feeling a strange sense of cynicism run through me.

I looked at Cujo a little worried, not understanding what he meant.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice low.

Cujo turned his mouth up into a sneer.

"Where's Saria, you smug asshole?" he demanded of me, ignoring my question.

I took in a deep breath, having to continually remember he wasn't completely lucid.

_I don't even understand why he speaks to me, _I thought, _he hates my guts._

"I sent her to a circus troupe in Eldin," I said sarcastically, then decided in a minute decision to discontinue the conversation, nothing was coming of it.

I pushed past him and Cujo gave me a puzzled look as I walked by.

"She's where?" he called after me.

I didn't bother to reply to him at that point, I was done. The man was simply crazy. I continued to my villa.

"You're getting what's coming to you, Sir Bastard!" he called after me when I didn't acknowledge him. "Just you wait and see!"

Again, a few more people turned from looking at Cujo to me in confusion. I rolled my eyes annoyed, and took in a deep breath.

_If I wasn't certain he was crazy, I would kick his tail, _I thought in irritation.

When I finally arrived at my villa, I went to open my front door, but then noticed it was already slightly ajar.

_What in the…? _I wondered taken aback.

I raised an eyebrow suspiciously, knowing I left my door closed and locked when I left to see the princess this morning. I took a step back and looked around with sudden caution. I didn't see any out of the ordinary spectators, or untoward individuals lurking about the town square, so I was slightly puzzled with how anyone could have opened my door unnoticed. I didn't have time to ponder over that, I proceeded forward.

I peered inside, but went about searching slowly. The entryway leading into the living room was clear. I stepped into the front foyer and made sure my back was against the adjacent wall.

_No surprise attacks, _I thought.

I looked across the room to the staircase, panned my vision up, and noticed my bedroom door was open.

_What the hell is going on here? _I thought, closing my front door, then going up the stairs to my bedroom.

I stood by the scaffolding and opened the room door slowly, and readied my bow.

_You picked the wrong house to rob you miscreant,_ I thought, thinking the intruder was still present.

I placed my back against the wall and sidled inside, but surprisingly the room was empty. I took in a sigh of relief when I realized no one was there. However, it didn't put aside my residual worry. Someone had been there, and I wanted to know why.

_What is going on? Why were they here? _I wondered, then decided to do a quick look around. _What the hell were they looking for?_

I decided to conduct a search.

I checked under the bed, in my closet, and behind the oak dresser.

I found nothing.

I went back down stairs and rechecked the living room.

There was nothing there.

I checked the pantry.

Nothing.

I checked the bathing room.

Nothing.

No one.

_This is odd, _I thought, not understanding why anyone would come there, _unless..._

I immediately thought of Zant, but then quickly dismissed the idea because he was not completely able to control the mechanism of Twilight Realm.

_Zant still needs to redistribute the energy fields, _I thought, _however, he could have sent a henchman._

I went back upstairs to check my room again.

_Whoever was in here was in here for a reason, _I thought, making sure to check everything carefully once more.

When I thought I was done, I noticed a slightly displaced floorboard near the left corner of the room. I was slightly taken aback at the sight of it, because the dank splintered side was up when it should have been faced down. I walked over to the recession in the floor, and picked up the board to see what was hidden. My eyes widened with at first confusion, but then surprise.

_What is this? _I wondered.

I was looking at a diamond shaped device similar to the one Saria had implanted in her body.

_What in the world is this doing here? _I pondered clearly perplexed by its appearance.

I was hesitant, but I picked up the crystal to examine it. It was strange, but as soon as I gripped it in the palm of my hand, it got warm. There was a surge of warm energy that flowed though me like currents of water. The crystal glowed golden brown, then white. It was beautiful.

_Wow, _I thought in surprise, _that felt incredible._

"What is this?" I wondered aloud.

I decided to pocket the device and have the doctor look at it later.

_Maybe he can dissect it and tell me what it is, _I thought.

I continued my introspection, when suddenly I was alerted to a familiar, but deadly sound.

It was the sound of a sizzle.

_Is that coming from an explosive? _I wondered with a sudden onset of panic.

My eyes widened when I looked deeper in the uncovered floor and saw a black shiny bomb with a bright orange fuse.

_Oh my goddess! _I thought.

Without thinking, I darted from the room and down the stairs. I burst through the front door to the unbeknownst crowd of town's people.

"Look out! Take cover!" I alerted, then finally came the explosion.

A woman nearby screamed. The blast alarmed everyone in the area. A couple of guards came hurrying to the scene.

"Are you alright sir?" one of them asked in panic.

I shook off the dizziness I felt and immediately stood up.

"I'm fine," I said through a cough, "check the back alley for any casualties."

"Yes sir," the guard said, and hurried to his assignment.

I turned to the worried populace and tried to put them at ease.

"Stay calm," I said, "I _will_ get to the bottom of this."

A woman was shaking her head in fear.

"Don't worry about us my lord!" she said. "We are all worried about you! That bomb cam from your residence! Who would try to kill you my lord?" she asked me in a trembling voice.

_That's a good question, _I thought, coming to the realization of something, _and I think I know who._

"It's of no consequence madam," I said to her, "I will find the culprit. You all take cover!"

I then bowed to the ostentatious crowd and hurried toward the castle gates. The crowd looked after me in worry. I was almost to the bridge when another soldier came and stopped me.

"Sir," he said, "what about your quarters?"

I was looking past him, not really concerned about my home.

"Put out the fire," I said quickly, "and then send for the royal builders to start the repairs. Also, tend to the wounded, and send for the doctors. Go quickly!"

"Yes sir!" the guard said in a salute.

I didn't mean to cut short his confirmation, but I ran in the middle of him giving me salute to Hyrule field. I hurried over the draw bridge, and immediately saw the antagonist heading for Kakiriko Village. _He_ turned around, looking in a paranoid fashion to see if anyone was following him, and that was when he saw me.

_Cujo you crazy bastard! _I thought angrily.

Without thinking, I whipped out my ocarina and called for Epona. I did a mid-aerial mount from a starting jump, and immediately giddied towards Kakiriko impasse. I galloped Epona faster and faster until I was right on Cujo's heels. When I was at a safe enough distance, I jumped off my horse and wrestled the crazy eccentric to the ground. Cujo didn't put up much of a fight. In fact, he was quaking in fear. He instantly resumed the fetal position.

"Don't hurt me!" he cried out and put his hands up to cover his face. "I was just doing what I was told!"

I was going to punch him straight in the mouth, but I stopped myself after hearing that.

"What?" I asked him clearly confused.

Cujo slowly lowered his hands and looked into my angry eyes and nodded.

"I-I received a letter with some instructions," he said to me in a trembling voice. "The letter read for me to place a bomb in your house, or I was going to be sent back to Hyrule Asylum!"

I looked at him like he was crazy, which he clearly was, but this didn't make sense, even for Cujo.

"Someone left you a letter?" I demanded incredulously.

He quickly nodded and swallowed hard.

I gripped the front of his shirt tight.

"Why didn't you just go to the guards with it?" I demanded angrily. "Why didn't you tell someone that could've helped you?"

Cujo looked at me with widened eyes and immediately broke down into tears.

"It was a- it was a _guard_ who gave it to me!" he divulged.

I looked at him shocked.

"What?" I demanded.

Cujo nodded.

"I was told my instructions were in the box and I was to tell no one," he divulged. "They said they would kill me!"

I felt my breath accelerate.

_Someone really was trying to get rid of me, _I thought, _but who besides Zant would want me dead? And from everything I've been told, even from Daphnes himself, the royal family needs me, I just don't know what for. So who?_

This wasn't making any sense.

"What the hell is going on here?" I muttered flummoxed.

I was still gripping on Cujo's shirt, when I finally decided to stand us up. He was still scared, which was understandable, but I was confused as to what to do with him.

_If what he's saying is true, I need him alive, _I thought. _If I take him back to Castle Town with the frenzied state the town's people are in now, they'll make an assumption and _throttle _him._

I pulled out my ocarina and called Epona once more.

Cujo looked at me confused.

"What are you doing?" he asked me terrified.

"For right now," I said, "saving your hide."

He swallowed hard, not understanding what I meant.

_I have to hide him, _I thought.

I quickly mounted him, then myself on my horse and headed for Lake Hylia. It was a hurried ride and about ten in the morning when we arrived. I dismounted first, then dragged Cujo off Epona to the front porch. I knocked on the door to the laboratory, and looked around hoping no one followed me. When the door finally opened, the elderly doctor looked at me surprised.

"Sir Link what are you doing here so soon?" he asked, then turned his attention to the unexpected visitor. "And who is this?" he asked me bewildered, looking from me to Cujo.

"This," I said pushing the crazy man inside the house, "is Cujo."

The old man still looked confused.

"Uh… is that supposed to mean something?" he asked me, walking up behind me after he shut the door.

I took in a deep breath and forced Cujo into a seat. I immediately heard hurried rapid footsteps scuttling down the stairs, it was Saria. When she saw me she smiled, but then her smile faded to a look of confusion when she saw the unexpected visitor.

"Cujo?" she asked flummoxed.

Cujo's eyes widened when he saw Saria.

"S-Saria?" he asked shocked. "Y-you're not in the Eldin circus?"

She gave him a queer stare.

"What?" she asked him, shaking her head perplexed. Saria joined everyone in the living room. "What are you doing here?" she asked Cujo puzzled.

"That's just what I asked," the old man segued to her.

I took in a deep sigh and decided to explain.

"This crazy idiot planted a bomb in my house," I divulged finally.

Saria and the old man's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" Saria asked me shocked, she then turned to Cujo. "Cujo is that true?"

He immediately trembled, but he nodded honestly.

"Y-yes Saria, I'm afraid so," he replied, but then added, "but-but it wasn't my idea!"

Saria shook her head, not understanding what was going on.

"Why would you do something like that?" she demanded of him.

"He was ordered to do it," I segued before Cujo could answer. "I brought him here so he would have some measure of protection."

The old man looked at me puzzled.

"What?" the old man said perplexed.

I turned to look at the doctor.

"I'm afraid it's necessary for right now," I said to him.

The doctor didn't understand my rationale.

"You mean you brought him here _knowing_ he's the reason you're now homeless?" he asked me.

I merely nodded, knowing it didn't make sense.

"Can you accommodate him for a few hours?" I asked the doctor hopefully. "It isn't all his fault, and even though he's the reason my home is gone, he's generally harmless. I promise he will be out of your hair before the day is over. I have some very important business to attend to."

The doctor looked at me still unsure, then looked over at Saria.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

Saria nodded, but with open hesitation.

"I think it'll be okay," she replied, "if the guard comes we'll hide him."

I was relieved, considering the unorthodox circumstances. I knew Cujo wouldn't do something of this magnitude of his own contemplation. He was too simple for such violence.

Crazy, but simple.

It was then I remembered the gem I found with the explosive. I dug in my pocket and pulled out the diamond shaped crystal. Like before, I felt a surge of power flow through me from it.

_There it goes again, _I thought bewildered.

"What the hell is this?" I demanded of Cujo suddenly.

Cujo looked at the instrument in puzzlement.

"I-I don't know," he said sincere.

I sighed in anger.

"Don't give me that!" I snapped. "This was in the same spot as the bomb!"

Cujo's face crumpled again.

"It-it was already there when I placed the bomb there!" he divulged. "I was told to attach that thing to the bomb and then leave! I never saw that thing before today! I swear!"

There was something earnest in his words that made me believe him. Cujo then broke down and started crying again.

_So, it was used as a trigger, _I thought surprised, _but __I was meant to find it, this doesn't make sense._

That news troubled me.

_If Cujo didn't put this device in my room, who did? _I wondered upset.

While I was being reflective, Saria had a look of remorse on her face and went to comfort Cujo.

"It's okay Cujo," she said softly, patting his shoulder, "we all know you didn't mean to do it."

I looked at Saria incredulously for a moment.

_I almost get killed and he gets comforted? _I thought in disbelief. _There's something very wrong with this picture._

The old man didn't take notice, he was busy eyeing the diamond shaped instrument I was holding.

"What is that?" he asked me, fascinated by the little capsulation.

I turned to look at him.

"I was hoping you could tell me," I replied, "I have no idea."

"It looks like a…" he then trailed, realizing he had an extra set of ears, "it looks like a device we've seen before."

I nodded in agreement.

"Every time I hold it, a surge of energy pulses through me," I divulged.

The old man looked at me in surprise.

"Really?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Really," I replied.

I handed the device to the old man.

"Do you feel anything?" I asked him when he took hold of it.

He shook his head surprised.

"Not a thing," he replied.

I looked at him perplexed by that fact.

"I don't understand why _I _feel a surge of power," I said.

The old man sighed.

"I might have some tools to study this," he said quietly, then raised the crystal to the light to see if it casted prisms of color, unfortunately it casted none. "That's odd," the old man mumbled to himself.

I shrugged, not understanding the phenomena either.

_He'll figure it out, _I thought with confidence.

Saria turned to look at me and gave me hopeful stare all of a sudden. It took me a moment to understand what the look meant, but then when I realized what it was, I shook my head no. She took in a deep breath just then, and looked down at the ground disappointed. I stared at her downcasted eyes for a moment, then went over to her and pulled her to the side for a moment. Cujo saw that and instantly objected.

"Hey!" he said. "She was taking care of me!"

I looked over at him and gave him an obvious stare.

"Be glad you're not pushing up lilies after what you've done," I warned.

That did the trick, because he regressed back into his chair. I turned my attention back to Saria. She still wouldn't look into my eyes.

"I haven't had an opportunity to discuss everything with Zelda yet," I said, trying to keep my voice low, "the events from this morning have thrown everything off, but I do have some time scheduled with her around noon."

She merely nodded.

_Come on Sar... _I thought, _I need your confidence._

I lifted her chin so her eyes would be looking into mine. I stroked her cheek softly.

"I'm going to take care of this, okay?" I reassured. "You _will _be Mrs. Killjoy."

She stared back into my eyes and tried to smile at hearing that.

"Okay," she whispered to me, and swallowed hard.

I sighed, then turned to look at Cujo who was staring at us oddly.

"What?" I demanded of him.

He looked between Saria and I once more.

"Aren't you engaged to the princess?" he asked.

I glared at him and didn't answer. Cujo's eyes got wide.

"Are you two… seeing each other?" he demanded confused.

Neither Saria or myself answered the question.

_Honestly, _I thought, _that's still up in the air._

Cujo scoffed upset suddenly, and looked at Saria.

"I thought you were going to marry me Saria," he said shocked.

I raised an eyebrow after hearing that.

_It's official, he certifiable, _I thought.

Saria's eyes widened, but then she grinned at him.

"I've told you a million times you're too good for me," she joked.

I couldn't help but smirk at her innate sense of concern for others.

_Instead of making him feel inadequate, she found a way to make him feel special, _I thought, _I love that quality about her._

Cujo billowed an irritated breath at her comment and started picking at his foot.

"Yeah, I suppose that _is _true," Cujo muttered to himself.

I looked at what he was doing by seriating several pieces of nail on his big toe and shook my head.

_That's a _real _man right there, _I thought sarcastically.

I couldn't help it, but I chuckled. Even after the fact Cujo blew up my house, his complete aloofness to all the chaos he had done made me chuckle.

_I wish I could be that crazy and get away with it, _I thought.

I took in a deep breath at Cujo's theatrics, then looked at Saria once more.

"I have to go," I said quietly, "I'll be back later."

Saria merely nodded and tried to smile. I caressed her cheek softly and kissed her forehead. Impulsively, she reached up and kissed my mouth. It was soft, but nice. I wished it were longer, but she pulled away. I wasn't going to lie, with everything I had been through that morning, a good kiss was just what I needed. She grinned at me.

"I'll see you later then," she whispered to me.

When she released me I turned to look at Cujo, who looked repulsed.

"I can't believe this!" Cujo exclaimed. "You two really are two timing scum!"

Saria laughed at him and shook her head.

"Would you like a kiss too Cujo?" she asked him impetuously, ignoring his brazen outburst.

Cujo raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah," he said without hesitation, "why do you think I've been yelling all this time?"

_The thing is you haven't, you moron, _I thought.

Saria went over and planted a huge wet one on his cheek.

Cujo immediately blushed.

I somehow found this whole turn of events just strange.

_Cujo blows up my house, Cujo gets taken to a safe haven by me, everyone laughs at his crazy antics, and yet no one sees this as strange, _I thought. _Sounds like a typical day in the life of Cujo if you ask me._

I thanked Saria and the scientist once more, then left and headed for the castle.

_I have an important task at hand, _I thought.

~SSS~

I arrived back in Castle Town around noon and went to see how the recovery efforts were going. Thankfully there were no casualties, but several guards patrolling the back alleys had serious injuries. They were being treated for first and second degree burns, and were given fluids and cooling unguents for their skin. The royal building committee was already fast at work putting out the fire and making an estimate to the repairs. I spoke to the captain of the guard and put him in charge of security, with an emphasis of focusing on Kakiriko Village.

Since I knew Cujo was safely put away, I had no fear of the guard finding him. I just needed to have a convincing enough story for Zelda and Daphnes.

When I was sure the efforts were continuing smoothly, I headed for the castle, and once I was there I went straight to the garden.

_I'm sure she's here, _I thought, trying to straighten my slightly disheveled appearance.

When Zelda caught sight of me her eyes widened, she dropped the flower bouquet she was holding, and immediately ran into my arms.

She took in a sigh of relief.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she said to me in a trembling voice.

I held onto her tight and sighed myself.

_So am I, _I thought in honesty.

"I'm okay princess," I said to her softly.

Zelda looked up into my eyes, hers were filled with tears. She tried to smile as she wiped her eyes.

"Are you hurt at all?" she asked me.

I shook my head no and grinned at her concern.

"No," I replied.

She smiled and reached up to caress my cheek.

"Another crazy day in the life of a knight," she said gently with a nervous chuckle, "unfortunately, I guess we won't be going on our picnic lunch."

My grinned widened to a smile, not wanting to deviate from what I was intending to do.

"Oh no princess," I said, "we're still going to have our day together."

Zelda looked at me surprised.

"What?" she said slightly perplexed.

I took her hand in mine and squeezed it slightly.

"We're still going to have our day together," I repeated.

Zelda drew back from me a little bit as if stunned.

"But... what about overseeing the building of your home?" she asked me.

"The royal building committee is already doing that," I replied.

Zelda bit her lower lip.

"What about securing a residence in the meantime?" she went on. "Have you done that?"

I smiled at her worry.

"I have a place to stay," I said reassured.

Zelda's concerned look never went away.

"What about-" she tried.

I put my forefinger to her lips.

"Stop worrying," I interrupted softly.

Zelda pulled her mouth away from my touch and looked down at the ground.

We were silent for a moment.

"I..." I trailed hesitantly, breaking it, "I have something important to discuss with you."

Zelda looked up at my face and stared deeply into my eyes after hearing that, she then looked away. She seemed distracted by something that was upsetting to her.

_What's this? _I wondered.

"But you just nearly died," she divulged again quietly, as if trying to convince me to stay behind. "Whatever it is you want to discuss with me can wait. I wouldn't feel right having the day you planned for me after all that's happened. It would be selfish on my part."

_This isn't about you or me Zelda, _I thought.

I was determined.

"I wouldn't feel right _not_ having the day I planned for you," I divulged honestly. "There's no sense worrying about things you can't control Zelda, and right now my home being gone is out of my control."

_Especially when I know what the stakes are, _I continued in my thoughts.

Zelda stiffened in my grip after I said that.

"Really?" she said softly.

"Really," I replied.

I didn't know what it was or why, but there was a definite shift in her manner, it was subtle, but it was there.

_So, I was right, _I thought at my noticing it before, _I wasn't just seeing things._

"But-" Zelda started.

"No 'buts'," I interrupted again.

I lifted her chin and grinned into her pretty face.

"We're going," I said firmly.

Zelda looked deeply into my eyes and swallowed hard for some odd reason.

I looked at her perplexed.

_What's going on here?_ I wondered.

"Are you okay?" I couldn't help asking, she was acting strange.

Zelda merely nodded, then looked away from me.

There was another brief silence between us.

"You still came," she said with an encrypted absence, breaking the silence as if speaking to herself, "you still felt that _whatever_ it was you wanted to discuss with me was that _important, _that even after an _explosion_ to your home you still came to see me."

When she put it like that, it immediately alerted an innate sense of alarm in me.

_Something's not right here, _I thought, _with the way she said that, it's almost as if she _knows _what I'm going to talk about._

I drew back a little to look at her. I found what she said very off putting. It was mainly do to the inflection in her voice.

_Why is she so distant suddenly? _I wondered.

"Zelda?" I asked gently, hoping she would cue me in.

Zelda shook her head of her thoughts and tried to smile.

"Let me go get my shawl," she said all of a sudden, ignoring the concern in my voice.

She turned and hurried into the castle. I looked after her with slightly narrowed eyes.

_She's hiding something, _I thought with open suspicion, _that, or she's just really shaken up about this morning._

When she returned a few moments later, I noticed the slightly solemn expression on her face.

"Shall we go?" she asked me quietly.

I hesitated, wanting to understand why she was so serious all of a sudden.

_What in the world...? _I wondered.

I tried smiling at her, but her expression didn't change.

"Could you be a little more enthusiastic than that?" I asked, hoping to brighten her mood.

Zelda stared into my eyes again and then smirked. It wasn't a smile, it was smirk. She wanted me to know she wasn't pleased with this decision. It was definitely forced.

_What happened between now and this morning? _I thought completely confused at her behavior.

I decided to leave her attitude alone, and just deal with it.

_If I keep pressing the issue she may get more annoyed, _I thought.

We then headed down the hall adjacent to a gate leading to Hyrule Field. It was then I realized I forgot to pack a picnic basket.

I halted for a moment.

"I forgot to bring lunch," I said in a rather silly manner, hoping to get a smile out of her.

Zelda didn't stop walking.

"That's alright," she said to me softly, "I'm not hungry anyway."

I remained sedentary as Zelda continued to walk ahead of me.

"You're not hungry?" I asked her, knowing that something was up with her.

She stopped to turn around and look at me.

"No," she said simply.

I merely nodded, catching the quiet dismay in her tone.

_What's going on Zelda? _I thought perplexed.

"Shall we continue?" she asked me softly.

Zelda was staring straight into my eyes.

I stared right back.

_She's onto me, _I thought.

"Yes," I replied.

We left the castle and traveled across Hyrule Field to this beautiful secluded location near the entryway of Gerudo Desert. When we arrived at our destination, Zelda sat down on the grass, with her expression continuing to be solemn. I raised my eyebrows a little worried with regard to her continuing degenerative attitude. I tried to circumvent the growing tension by smiling and sat down next to her.

"Aren't you worried about grass stains?" she asked me all of a sudden in a quiet voice.

I looked at her surprised.

I thought it was a silly thing to bring up considering the circumstances.

"No," I replied, reaching for her hand. "I didn't have time to retrieve a blanket.

She took my hand reluctantly.

"No," she said softly, "I suppose not. Appearances never seem to faze you, do they Link?"

I looked at her surprised at the smug inclination in the question.

_She is definitely not the person I greeted this morning,_ I thought.

"No, they don't," I replied sincere, not wanting to go into that any further.

There was another silence that overcame us. This one was tense.

_This is going to be a lot more difficult than I anticipated, _I thought.

"By the way," Zelda started, suddenly breaking the silence, "did you find the culprit for the attack on your residence?"

I took in a deep breath and shook my head no.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to apprehend him," I replied.

Zelda raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes at my reveal.

"You know who it is?" she asked me.

_Yes, _I thought.

"No," I lied.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"So, how do you know it's a 'him'?" Zelda perceived. "It could have very well been a woman," for some odd reason she smirked, "a jealous lover perhaps."

I found her saying that obtuse, even with me putting my foot in my mouth.

"I was just making conjecture," I stated.

Zelda stared at me for a long moment after hearing that.

"I see," she said finally with a sigh, "it seems the Hyrulean army can't catch arsonists _or _assassins."

The underhanded comment caught me off guard. I glanced over at her and noticed her eyes were averted to the ground now.

"So it would seem," I replied quietly, ignoring the obvious dig she was trying to imply at my leadership.

_It's almost as if you're trying to elicit a reaction out of me,_ I thought slightly annoyed. _I'll just leave my thoughts about your family to myself._

There was another long tense silence that overcame us.

_This is not going to be easy, _I thought again, feeling a little anxious.

"So, what did you want to discuss?" Zelda asked finally. "The anticipation is killing me."

I looked over at her and took in a deep breath.

_Start with something subtle Link, _I told myself.

"Tell me about your morning," I said with a grin, trying to be cordial.

Zelda looked at me for a moment, then smirked again. That same snide smile from before.

"Tell you about my morning?" she asked in slight disbelief.

I shrugged, trying to be casual.

"Yes," I replied.

Zelda looked away from me and shook her head.

"My morning," she repeated more to herself than to me, "let me tell _you_ about my morning my love."

I was a little taken aback by her curt undertone and manner.

_Why doesn't she say what she means? _I wondered. _It's obvious she's angry with me about something._

"O...kay," I replied.

Zelda cleared her throat.

"I woke up and had the servants come and attend to my needs," she began. "I then had breakfast, and met with you in the garden, and..." she looked over at me just then, "you were dressed in _white_. It looks dashing on you by the way. Anyway, after you left, I conferred with my steward over some plans for the engagement party. All that was abruptly put on hold when I heard about the explosion to your home. However, now since that apparently hasn't _wrangled_ your recourse, here we are sitting here talking about..." she forced a faked chuckle and shook her head, "whatever really."

I looked at her surprised at her untoward inflection.

"Are you alright?" I asked finally, not being able to help myself.

Zelda threw her head back and laughed again. It was filled with contrition and bitterness. She then swallowed hard and shook her head.

"No," she said with honesty, "I'm not."

I looked at her with open suspicion.

"Zelda if you need me to-" I started.

"You can cut the small talk and get to the point of this little rendezvous," she interrupted suddenly, "I know you didn't plan this for pleasantries."

I raised my eyebrows at the straightforwardness of her statement.

"I just wanted to be sure you were alright," I said carefully.

She looked straight into my eyes.

"I'm fine," she said with a sharp undertone, "get on with this Link."

I raised my eyebrows again.

_Fine, _I thought, no longer seeing the need to take her feelings into consideration, _if it's bluntness she wants, bluntness she will get._

"Alright," I said, seeing no need to beat around the bush any longer, "I have a friend in need of help."

Zelda sighed, then stood up after hearing that. She walked a few steps away from me and stood erect.

"What friend is that Link?" she asked me as if she already knew.

I stood up and wiped the grass from my tunic.

"Didn't you say cut the small talk?" I asked. "Let's not play these games Zelda."

Zelda turned back around to face me and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Yes, I suppose I did," she replied.

I stared her straight in the eyes.

"You know who I'm talking about," I said, getting to the point.

Zelda smirked.

"Oh yes," she said quietly, "that pretty girl with that green hair."

I looked away from her face when I took note of her expression. I did feel slightly guilty.

"Yes, that pretty girl with that green hair," I repeated.

Zelda stared at me for a moment.

"I thought she was in _jail_ for aiding and abiding you," she said to me, trying to detract.

_So, now you want to do this? _I wondered, getting a little upset.

"You know very well she's not in jail Zelda," I said to her, having to remember to keep my tone respectful. "You know she's not just some pretty girl who got in trouble helping me. You _know _there's a lot more to her than that."

Zelda looked at me expectantly and nodded.

"Oh yes, that's right," she said sarcastically walking away from me for a moment, "she's the _spy_ for my father on that _lunatic_ who thinks he's my great uncle."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

_So, she knew, _I thought.

"Yes," I said in abscence.

She looked at me surprised.

"Not even a minute of a reaction," she said to me impressed, "it seems all that _investigating_ paid off."

Zelda turned back around and started walking towards me.

I narrowed my eyes at her when she approached me.

"That's the _only_ way I could get any real answers," I replied, trying to stay civil, but I couldn't lie, her snide nature was getting to me. "You and your father weren't going to tell me anything, much less be truthful about Saria."

Zelda looked at me surprised.

"Hmm, the truth about Saria," she began in a smart fasion, "tell me what you know about that."

I swallowed hard getting, tired of being toyed with, but I decided to answer anyway.

"I found out she didn't want to live in the Sacred Realm anymore because she..." I trailed, not wanting to say it, "because she was unable to do her duty. She came back to Hyrule as a Hylian, but was under confined restrictions. You already know what those are."

Zelda stared into my eyes for a long moment, as if absorbing the undertone of contempt in my voice.

"Do you hate me for that?" she asked me in a whisper.

I took in a deep breath and looked away from her.

"No," I said honestly.

Zelda gave me a long once over.

"Can I tell you something funny, sir knight?" she asked me, detracting the subject.

I looked at her odd just then.

_Where is she going with this? _I wondered.

"Sure," I said, not really certain.

Zelda turned around and started walking away from me again.

"I had a dream a few nights ago," she began softly, "it was of you and me and of these very same circumstances you speak of right now. You were wearing white as you are now and you had an auspicious air about you."

I looked at her puzzled, but remained silent so she could go on.

"You were abnormally attentive to me the way you were earlier today," she went on, "I didn't understand it at first, but then in my dream we had a conversation..." she looked down at the ground, "a very _interesting_ conversation. One that I didn't wish to discuss really. However, when I realized the events happening _today,_ were happening _just_ like in my dream, I became alert. So I... took certain precautions."

I looked at her confused for a moment.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "What precautions?"

She turned around and stared at me.

"Think," she said in a flat voice, "_precautions _Link."

I raised a brow and pondered for a moment what she was trying to say. Suddenly, my eyes widened and I took a step back when I realized what she was telling me.

_She didn't..._ I thought in disbelief.

"You had that bomb planted in my house?" I demanded shocked.

Zelda looked away from me and nodded.

"Yes, I _had _to," she said quietly, "I couldn't risk you asking me _what_ you want to ask me."

I looked at her in apt disbelief.

_This is crazy..._ I thought angrily.

"You could have killed me!" I said angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Zelda shook her head.

"That explosion _wouldn't_ have killed you," she divulged, "the _energy_ was configured on Twili energy. The Triforce of Courage _absorbs _twilight energy and makes you stronger."

I felt my mouth drop, I was stunned.

"What?" I asked.

Zelda just nodded.

_This is insane! _I thought.

"How do you know this?" I demanded.

Zelda took in a deep breath and continued.

"It happens to me too with the Triforce of Wisdom," she divulged. "I can absorb twilight energy. It's the same with you, you transform into a wolf, an embodiment of courage. However, because mine is wisdom, I remain in Hylian form when I traverse twilight."

I couldn't believe it, but that still didn't explain why she did it.

"I still don't understand why you planted that bomb in my house," I stated.

Zelda halted in her steps and turned her back to me.

"I just to you Link," she said, "I did it because I wanted to avoid _this _conversation."

I shook my head at a loss to her reasons.

"You're not making any sense!" I said upset.

Zelda turned back around.

"Oh no my beloved," she said to me softly, "I make _plenty_ of sense."

I ran a hand through my hair frustrated.

"I just want a reprieve on Saria's behalf," I blurted out finally, "that's all!"

I knew I was becoming presumptuous, and it was only because I was irritated.

Zelda nodded, but then sighed.

"If it were that easy, I'd do it," she said softly, "but unfortunately it's _not _that easy."

I swallowed hard and took a step back.

"You see," she went on, "if I _reprieved_ her contract, _you_ would go to her... because I know you're in love with her. I _cannot_ allow that."

I felt myself getting angrier by the second.

"Are you serious?" I demanded.

Zelda nodded.

"I'm afraid so," she said in a quiet undertone.

I was fuming.

"This is strictly about jealousy!" I said to her angrily. "I thought you were above that Zelda!"

Zelda raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

"It's primarily for the future of Hyrule," she corrected me, "jealousy just happens to be a secondary factor."

I looked at Zelda confused.

"What does giving Saria the life she deserves, have anything to do with the future of Hyrule?" I demanded.

Zelda took a step towards me.

"It's not really her," she said, "it's _you_."

I shook my head.

"What?" I asked flummoxed.

"I _need_ you to save Hyrule," she divulged.

I swallowed hard.

"Zelda I've already told you I committed my life-" I tried.

"Your fighting alone will not stop the onslaught from the Twilight Realm!" she interrupted fiercely. "Only the power _within_ you and me as a _fusion _can stop the invasion of twilight."

My eyes widened and I took a step back surprised, I didn't know how to reply.

_That damn word again, _I thought.

Zelda could see the magnitude of her words on me. She knew I was blindsided by this.

"Don't you remember in the forest?" Zelda asked me suddenly, taking a step towards me. "Don't you remember how Zant's forces retreated when you and I were _both_ shooting the arrows of light at his hordes?"

I nodded in slight disbelief at the recollection.

_That is true, _I thought.

"Yes," I heard myself whisper.

Zelda took another step towards me.

"The Deku Tree told me, once we are married the barrier to the Twilight Realm can remain fixated for the remainder of our lifetimes," she went on.

I looked at her surprised after hearing that.

"That's what you went to see the Deku Tree about?" I asked.

Zelda nodded.

"Imagine it Link," she said to me hopefully, "a whole generation of peace for the citizens of Hyrule. Not a threat from Zant or Ganondorf! The people would bless your name forever!"

I had to take a step back and catch my breath from all the shock of the news.

_That's why Daphnes said I was 'necessary', _I thought back to when I was reinstated, _he and Zelda both went and got this news as confirmation from the Deku Tree._

"I think I'm going to be sick," I muttered in honesty.

I suddenly felt a little dizzy. Zelda quickly came to my side and helped me back down onto the grass. I ran a hand through my blonde hair and took in a deep breath to slow my racing heart. I couldn't believe any of this was happening.

_A fusion of energy to save Hyrule, _I thought, _that is an enormous responsibility... but what about Saria? What about our future together?_

"I'll..." I began, but trailed, "I'll consider everything you said princess, but I want a reprieve for Saria first."

Zelda looked at me surprised.

"What?" she asked flummoxed. "What do you mean you'll think about it?"

I turned and looked at her seriously.

"I meant what I said," I stated again, "I want her reprieved before I agree to anything."

Zelda looked away from me and stroked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You know..." she trailed, looking down at the grass, "there _is _a way to heal her."

_Oh no, you're not going to trap me that way, _I thought of her furtive nature.

"I'm aware of _it_," I replied, "I want another way."

Zelda looked at me defiantly just then.

"No," she said.

I looked at her upset.

"What?" I demanded.

"You heard me," she repeated.

I shook my head in disbelief.

"You said you were going to make amends!" I said angrily. "What the hell kind of amendment is this?"

Zelda stared at me hard.

"I _did_ make amends," she replied with a subtle encryption to her words.

I looked at her confused and shook my head.

"What?" I demanded.

"My amendment was for _you_ alone, _not _for you and Saria," she divulged. "I made you regent of Hyrule."

"You think a royal position makes up for-" I cut myself off and swallowed hard.

_Wait a minute, _I thought, _she's not talking about the regency, she's talking about..._

That was when the realization hit me.

My eyes widened when I understood what she _truly_ meant.

_"Maybe you don't know your princess as well as you think you do Link..." _Saria's voice echoed through me head just then.

"You... _you_ planned your own assassination attempt, didn't you?" I inquired in disbelief. "You planned it all, didn't you?"

Zelda looked away and didn't reply immediately.

"I _sent_ Saria a letter telling her to stay away from you, I even sweetened the pot and paid her seventy thousand rupees," she divulged, "after the whole situation with your outburst to father, I _had_ to get you back into good standings, because I knew of the importance of your involvement with the twilight. I then instructed your _precious_ Saria to act as a killer to get you to give chase to her so father could reinstate you and elevate your position."

I was stunned, I took a few steps back.

_That's why Saria didn't reply when I assumed it was Daphnes who tried to kill Zelda, _I thought, _she already knew it was the princess._

_"You didn't hear that from me..." _Saria's voice echoed through my mind again.

"I can't believe you did all this," I whispered to myself.

Zelda took a step towards me.

"Believe it, my love" she said softly, "because it's true."

I shook my head.

"How could you do this to Saria?" I demanded. "She's been nothing but loyal to you and Daphnes."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at me.

"That's all you can think about, isn't it? Your sweet Saria," she said in a flat cruel voice. "Well, here's your answer Link. She's a _servant_," she said to me coldly. "_I _gave her a second chance when she decided the sage-ship -an honor she should have been satisfied with- wasn't good enough for her. _I _allowed her to become a Hylian when she decided her Kokiri heritage was too insufficient."

I looked at her angrily.

"Don't you talk about her as if she were some mindless trash!" I snapped. "I'm in love with her! She means everything to me."

I realized that wasn't the best thing to say at that moment, but with the way she was speaking about my best friend I didn't care.

Zelda swallowed hard at my words and her eyes glistened slightly.

"And I love you, and I honestly want you to be happy," she replied with indifference, "but I love _Hyrule_ more."

"Zelda-" I tried.

Zelda narrowed her eyes again.

"Saria's plight stands," she interrupted me.

I felt my anger getting the better of me.

"You selfish-" I started.

"No," Zelda interrupted emphatically, "I am _not_ selfish!"

I looked away from her and closed my eyes.

"Everything I do is to ensure a better future for this country," she said with strong conviction. "I didn't have a 'vision' becoming Sheik. No, no my love, I put my life on the line following you on a quest because I knew it was the right thing to do. I didn't fight a lizaldos named Drazzil, almost get pulled to my death by stalchildren, get transported between here and the Chamber of Sages speaking to Raru for sport, rescue the water sage princess Ruto, and a host of other things just to let Hyrule fall by the wayside because you have a crush on a Kokiri."

I opened my eyes once she was done and shook my head.

_I can't believe this, _I thought, _this is not how this is supposed to go._

I ran my fingers across my forehead and sighed.

_What the hell am I going to do? _I wondered.

Zelda saw me being reflective and bit her lower lip worried.

"Don't you feel any love for me at all?" she asked me suddenly. "Is it so easy for you to just cast me aside after all these years?"

I sighed guiltily and didn't look at her. I knew she had a point.

_She did wait for me for eight years, _I thought.

She turned my face back to hers and looked into my eyes. Impulsively, she came close and kissed me. I immeduately pulled back repulsed.

"Get away from me!" I whispered to her in disgust. "I'm really starting to feel contempt for you."

She didn't look scathed by my comment.

"You'll come to under-" she tried.

"Reprieve Saria, Zelda!" I interrupted angrily. "Do it! You have the power!"

I was becoming desperate.

She narrowed her eyes at me angrily.

"No," she said simply.

I pushed her away from me just then and got up.

"Then I won't marry you," I threatened.

Zelda looked at me upset.

"Then it'll be on _your_ head that all of Hyrule was destroyed by the twilight," she divulged.

I turned away from her and took in a deep breath.

_My life is spiraling out of control! _I thought.

"It's either marry me and save the woman you love and the country," she said to me as an ultimatum, "or don't, and she'll die along with all of Hyrule."

I turned back around and looked at her. My anger got the better of me for a moment. I stalked up to her and grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her to me. Zelda winced slightly from my grip.

"Link-" she tried.

"Why are you being so damn cruel?" I interrupted quietly, staring into her eyes. "Why not reprieve Saria and let her have a happy life? Why do this?"

Zelda just stared back, she didn't answer that question.

I swallowed hard.

"Why make Saria's self-destruction me telling her I love her?" I demanded all of a sudden, detracting the subject.

Zelda smirked sadly at my question and shrugged. Her eyes filled with tears and they spilled over onto her cheeks.

"Because every time I told you I loved you, and I knew you didn't love me back, it killed me a little inside," she said with honesty. "So, I thought as an ironic terrible joke, why not make what _kills_ her be the very thing you've been vying to tell her ever since you two were children."

I stared into her blue eyes as if I didn't know who she was, and in all honesty, in that moment, I felt I didn't.

"That's just... that's just cruel," I whispered, then let her go, "how in the world did you become so cruel?"

Zelda's tears never stopped.

"I learned from the best," she whispered, barely able to talk, "I learned from you Link. I... I still _see you traitor_. Has my _shooting _gotten better? Was my accuracy spot on."

My eyes widened when I understood the subtlety of her words. I took a few steps back from her and just stared at her.

_So,_ she _shot that arrow in my room the night Saria stayed with me, _I thought, with clarity. _She considers me a traitor for not loving her the way she loves me... maybe she's right. Maybe I did betray her._

Zelda wiped her eyes and looked away from me.

_Did I really do this to her? _I wondered suddenly. _Did I really lead her on only to shatter her hopes like this?_

Zelda dusted off her dress, then went to pick up her shawl.

"Think about what I said," she said quietly, not looking at me, "in the meantime I'm continuing with the arrangements for the engagement party."

I didn't reply.

Zelda bowed, then turned and headed back to the castle.

"Don't stay gone too long," she called to me over her shoulder, "it's dangerous out here."

I just stared after her at a loss for words and what to do.

I couldn't believe any of that just happened.

_What am I going to do Saria? _I thought. _What am I going to do?_

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 20 is coming soon!<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**Inspiration: Tentalus from Skyward Sword, and all water battles in general.**

**Original Shout Outs: Vaati, ****Iupku, ****Fiethel.**

**New Shout Out: TheSpiritMaiden, thanks for reading new reader, and thank you for the compliment.**

**Author Note: Reedited 3/24/13- This chapter has been reedited to include Saria's POV. This was originally 5,777 words, now it's over 10,600, I hope those of you who read it before enjoy the added content. And for those of you reading it for the first time I hope you enjoy it as well.~ZR~.**

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><p>Chapter 20<p>

Saria POV: Lake Hylia

I knew I shouldn't have been, but I was eagerly anticipating Link's return.

_How had that conversation gone? _I wondered. _Would the princess really give up the man she loved for someone else? _

I was sitting in the kitchen pondering over these things with Cujo sitting across from me staring at me. I knew he meant well and was pretty jaded with life, but his earlier actions could have killed Link. Who puts a bomb in someone's home and doesn't ask questions?

_Only Cujo, _I thought.

Even still, I wasn't going to hold it against him. If Link could overlook it and see that there was something more going on, so could I. He was probably put up to doing it anyway. Shortly after, I cut my gaze from him and introspected on all the recent events happening at once. There was Zant, the explosion in Hyrule, the twilight, my own issues, and the safety of the kingdom. That was a lot to ingest, and there was no telling what else would come up before this was all over. The scientist was down in his laboratory working hard at deciphering the crystal Link brought him. It looked just like mine, but I had no idea what the use was for. It could have been anything. I just hoped we would find out something soon.

_I hope it will all be worth it in the end, _I thought, looking out the window once more, thinking I saw a glimpse of Link's white tunic.

No such luck, unfortunately.

I grinned at the thought of Link wearing white. He looked very handsome when he came to drop Cujo off. I could see why Zelda wanted that as their wedding color. He looked dashing in it. I was hoping at the time he had some good news, but I should have known that my inquiry was too soon. I was trying to stay positive, but there was a conjuring of doubt festering inside me. Zelda was not going to let a man she's been in love with for eight years go easily, and to be quite honest, I couldn't say I blamed her.

_What if it were me? _I wondered all of a sudden. _Would I be so easy to let a wonderful man like Link go? Would I be able to forget all the wonderful times we had together? _

I already knew the answers to those questions. I wouldn't be able to let him go. I wouldn't be able to forget. I _wasn't_ able to forget when I was doing my duty in the Sacred Realm. I loved Link and I wanted to be his wife more than anything in the world, but I was sure Zelda felt the same way. After yesterday, with Link coming to rescue me, and putting his life on the line to help me, I knew there was _no one _that would ever take his place in my heart. I was certain Zelda had these same feelings and aspirations. I looked down, feeling slightly guilty for coming in and altering her expectations with Link the way I did.

_It's such a complicated mess now, _I thought, getting up from the table and standing next to the window, _everything is so big and small at the same time. _

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, hoping that Link would return before dusk. I was worried for his safety, even though I knew he was more than capable of defending himself. There was so much going on in the world that I wanted him to have at least one safe haven, and that was this laboratory. If he could make it to this laboratory, I knew he would be safe.

_Just be okay out there,_ I thought.

I took in a deep breath and looked over at the lake to see that the sun was starting to set.

It was getting late.

_I better get Cujo home, _I thought, _the roads should be pretty clear for passage, and I'm sure no one will notice us._

I turned and looked at the bald eccentric with a concerned expression. Cujo took it the wrong way.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" he asked.

I smiled at his inquiry and shook my head.

_I wonder what it's like living a day in his shoes, _I thought.

"No," I replied, "I just need to get you home."

He looked slightly upset when I said that to him.

"I don't want to go back to the village," he whined, "I want to stay with you. It's no fun when you aren't there. There's no pretty women to look at."

I held in a chuckle at his childish mentality.

_He's still a man, _I thought.

"Oh Cujo," I said, shaking my head, "that's very sweet, but I'm afraid you're going to have to. You can't stay here, it's too dangerous for you."

I found it ironic that I considered this place a safe haven for Link, but a danger zone for Cujo.

_It is what it is, _I thought, simplifying my introspection.

"But Saria-" he tried to protest.

I held up my hand.

"No 'buts,'" I interrupted, like a mother chastising her child, "we're going, you've done enough for one day."

Cujo quickly shut his mouth and looked sullen. I didn't want him thinking I didn't care about him. In all honesty, besides Link and gramps, he was the only friend I had when I lived in Kakariko Village. I appreciated him always coming to my defense when others tried to attack me.

_The least I can do is make sure he returns safely,_ I thought.

"Look," I said, coming up to him and grabbing hold of his hand, "it's not that I don't want you here. I just want you to be safe. Can you try and see it that way?"

Cujo was looking at the ground, but then he reluctantly nodded.

"I get it," he said in a flat voice.

I grinned and went past him to the hall. Three doors down, the scientist was inside observing the crystal Link brought him. The door was closed, but there were several different castings of light that could be seen from the top and bottom scaffolding.

_What's he doing in there? _I wondered.

"Doctor," I called to get his attention, "I'm going to take Cujo home."

The light abated for a moment and the doctor replied back. "You want to walk him by yourself?"

When I heard the inflection in his voice I understood his concern.

"I'll be okay," I reassured, "I'll take the back roads."

There was a pause on the other side.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait for master Link?" he asked.

I had a feeling he was going to suggest that.

_I know how to walk, _I thought.

"I'll be fine," I said, "I'll only be gone a couple hours."

I heard the doctor sigh.

"Alright," he said, "if you're sure."

I grinned at his concern.

"I'm sure," I replied.

There was another brief silence.

"Hurry child," he said, "leave before dusk settles in.

I nodded.

"We're leaving right now," I replied.

With that, I headed back down the hall to the kitchen. When I caught sight of Cujo, I raised my eyebrows surprised.

"What in the-?" I cut myself short.

Cujo was on the table in a one handed hand stand and juggling three beakers with his other free hand. Even though he nearly shocked the life out of me with his actions, I had to admit, I was impressed.

_He's quite limber for being so strange, _I thought, _I expected him to be more... catatonic._

"What do you think?" he asked. "Am I good enough to join the circus?"

I raised my eyebrows and put my hands on my hips.

_The circus? _I wondered,

"Uh sure," I said, seeing the immediate danger he put himself under, "it's a wonderful trick, but could you please get down. You're going to give me a heart attack."

After I said that, Cujo immediately stopped juggling with his free hand, dropping all three beakers, and jumped off the table. The breaking of the glass was a startling sound, and he unfortunately landed on his behind instead of his feet. However, he didn't injure himself because his fall zone was away from the glass on the floor.

"Ow," he moaned in pain.

"Are you alright?" I asked, immediately tending to him.

The bald eccentric shook his head, as if trying to ward off dizziness and nodded.

"I'm fine," he said.

My concern quickly turned to chastisement.

"You could have seriously hurt yourself!" I reprimanded. "What if you had landed in the broken glass?" I pointed to the floor. "And look at the mess you made! The doctor is going to be so upset when he finds out."

Cujo looked at me with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry."

I sighed and shook my head, but I couldn't help but grin.

"You really are reckless, aren't you?" I asked.

_Kind of like someone else I know, _I pondered, thinking of Link.

Cujo didn't reply.

"I just wanted to impress you so you could put in a good word for me to join the circus," he said.

I looked at him puzzled.

_What is he talking about? _I thought.

"The circus?" I inquired aloud this time.

Cujo looked irritated just then.

"Yes, the circus!" he said in a slightly raised voice. "That blonde jerk told me you joined the circus, and I wanted to join with you!"

I sighed, having no idea what he was talking about.

_Why would Link tell Cujo I joined the circus? _I thought, but my inquiry was short lived when I heard the doctor's footsteps scuttle down the hall. _Oh no._

When the doctor appeared, his eyes widened in disbelief. "What happened?" he demanded of the mess.

I didn't know how to answer. This was the work of Cujo after all.

"Uh..." I trailed.

The doctor didn't wait for my answer.

"Get him out of here," he said.

I stroked the back of my neck at his tone.

"I'll clean up the mess," I offered.

The doctor raised his hand to stop me.

"Don't worry about the mess," he said, "just get him out of here!"

I sighed, then stood up. I offered Cujo my hand and he looked at the doctor fearfully.

"I'm sorry-" Cujo tried.

"Take him home Saria!" the doctor interrupted, but then directed his attention to Cujo. "You'll find I'm not as nice as master Link. If you blow up my house, you'll go with it!"

_Oh boy, _I thought, feeling my eyes widen.

I had never seen the scientist so upset.

Cujo cringed at his words, and I knew I had to hurry to get him out of there.

"That's fine," Cujo said in a high strung voice, "I need to feed my _dead_ bird anyway!"

I closed my eyes and sighed.

_What is he talking about? _I thought.

"We're leaving right now," I reassured, and hurried Cujo to the front door.

Once we were outside, Cujo apologized again. I fanned it off and told him not to worry about it. There was too much going in the world to worry about broken beakers.

Too much.

My eyes narrowed at the event horizon as the sun kept setting.

_Hurry back Link, _I thought.

~SSS~

We arrived at Kakariko Village in an hour, after I settled Cujo into his home, I kept myself hooded and went to see gramps. I hadn't seen him in weeks and I was worried about him. His overall health was a major reason for my concern, but I was also worried about how he was getting along financially. I wasn't sure if the villagers retaliation had subsided or not, and I didn't want him to be a victim of that. Even still, I knew I couldn't linger, there was simply no time for that. I had to keep my visit short.

_I'll be brief, _I told myself.

I hurried up the stairs, thankful for the cover of night, and opened the door to the shop I used to work in. I walked inside and saw gramps getting ready to close. He was trying to carry a large looking box to the back, and I immediately intervened.

_He'll hurt his back, _I thought, coming up to him in a hurry.

"Let me," I said, taking the small crate for him.

He was startled at seeing me at first, but when he recognized my face his fear melted into relief.

"Saria my lass!" he said surprised.

I smiled at him and put the crate in the back storage room. After I wiped my hands, I came up to him and gave him a warm hug.

"I've missed you," I whispered in his ear.

He closed his eyes and hugged me back.

"I've missed you too my dear," he said, and got a little choked up, "I'm so glad those vultures didn't eat you. When I heard you had been jailed, I went to see you immediately, but when I got there they said you were transferred out. I thought they killed you."

I looked at him seriously for a moment, not realizing how convoluted the past few weeks had become.

_He has no idea what's been going on, _I thought.

"They haven't killed me yet gramps," I joked with a smile, "and I don't plan on it any time soon."

Gramps tried to smile when I said that.

"You're so resilient my child," he said, "I'm so glad you aren't hurt."

I squeezed his hand after he said that and went to go lock the shop door.

"I think you've had enough visitors for one night," I said, "you look like you need some rest."

My old friend sighed and nodded.

"I do indeed my dear," he said, "I've been busier than ever."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised, but relieved to hear that.

_Well, at least he's not struggling financially, _I thought.

"Do you have anyone to come and help you?" I asked.

Gramps went and sat down in a chair and tried to relax.

"Yes," he said, "a nice young medical student named Ralph. He's finishing his residency with the royal medic team. He volunteered to help me when he saw me selling goods in Castle Town Square a few weeks ago."

I nodded in approval.

"Wonderful," I said, "is he a nice young man?"

Gramps grinned at me.

"He is a nice young man, he's about twenty-six years old," he stated, "and he's quite handsome too," he added, giving me a knowing stare.

I looked down at my hands and blushed when he said that.

"Gramps..." I trailed.

"I'm just saying Saria," he went on, "he's a nice catch, well educated, has a decent family, and will make an exceptional wage when he finishes his schooling. He would be perfect for you. I told him all about you, he said he would love to meet you."

I didn't reply to any of what he said.

_Gramps really knows how to push the envelope, doesn't he? _I thought.

"I... I don't know him gramps," was all I said in reply.

He frowned at me.

"That's what courting is for Saria my lass," he said, "I would like to introduce you to him. I'll bet once he sees you, his heart will stop. You are exquisitely beautiful my dear."

I sighed and looked away.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to manage that," I said, and looked down at my fingers nervously, "you see... I'm in _love _with someone else."

Gramps was quiet for a moment when he heard me say that. I didn't look at him, I knew he had a disapproving gaze. I didn't have to say, he knew I was talking about Link.

_Please gramps, _I thought, _don't make this harder than it already is. _

There was a brief silence between us.

"It's..." he trailed, breaking the quiet, "it's that _knight, _isn't it?"

I got up and walked across the room so I wouldn't see his face when I answered.

"Yes," I said quietly.

I heard him sigh in disapproval.

"Saria-" he tried.

It was then I turned back around to face him.

"We're going to get married," I interrupted.

Gramps looked at me shocked.

"What?" he said in disbelief.

I twiddled with my hands.

"He asked me to marry him this morning," I explained, "we're in love gramps."

He sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Saria..." he trailed, "you wonderful _foolish_ girl."

I bit my lower lip understanding his frustration.

"I need your approval," I said, "I need you to be okay with this."

He sat back in his chair and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Why should I?" he asked. "Do you feel guilty for stealing an engaged man away from another woman?"

I swallowed hard, hating that he was putting it that way.

"It's more than that," I said.

"How is it more than that?" he demanded. "It is what it is Saria."

I didn't reply to him right away, which made him give me a once over and eye my belly.

"Are you... _with_ child?" he asked. "Is that why he's so apt to marry you?"

I looked at him stunned and was insulted.

"No!" I said slightly upset. "Gramps-"

"Then I don't understand Saria," he interrupted, "why are you willing to go the distance with someone you hardly know?"

I shook my head.

"That's the thing, I _do _know him," I tried to reason. "He's someone I knew once long ago when I was a child. He was my best friend, and he helped me get my memories back. I _know _who I am now gramps, and it's all thanks to Link."

He just stared at me for a moment.

"You only made his acquaintance a few months ago," he stated.

I shook my head again.

"I knew him when I lived in the forest," I said, and for some odd reason tears filled my eyes, "we used to play together in the Sacred Forest Meadow. I used to cook him breakfast, and play in the fields, and tell him stories, and sing with him on my ocarina-" I stopped myself when I got a little choked up. "I know him gramps, and he loves me. He really does, he wouldn't have gone to jail and risked his life to help me if he didn't."

Gramps was looking at me surprised, and raised his brows when he saw my reaction.

"You're crying," he said softly.

I nodded at the obvious and felt a little foolish.

"I know," I sniffled, "I'm silly."

He took in a deep sigh and grinned at me.

"You..." he said, "you really do love him, don't you?"

I looked at him surprised at the acknowledgement and smiled, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"He's really a kind fellow," I said, "he's a killjoy at times, but a kind fellow nonetheless." I hurried back over to gramps's chair, and went to my knees to rest my hands on his lap. "Oh gramps, you'll love him once you get to know him. He's so chivalrous and kind." I looked away for a moment and blushed. "Isn't he the most beautiful man you've ever seen?"

Gramps raised an eyebrow at my inquiry.

"He's very good looking my dear," he said, "but you wouldn't let a consideration like that sway you unduly, would you?"

I shook my head no.

"I don't love him because of that," I said, "but I don't discount that either. He's very easy on the eyes."

My old friend smiled at me, and even laughed when I said that.

"Well," he said with a minor shrug, "there isn't very much for me to say, is there Saria my dear? If he is what you really want, then I have no choice but to wholeheartedly support you."

I smiled and gave him a big hug after his utterance.

"Thank you," I whispered in his ear, "you don't know what that means coming from you."

He sighed and hugged me back.

"It means... I want what's best for you," he stated, "even if I do have my doubts."

I grinned at him saying that.

"I'm sure you do," I replied.

He sighed and decided to change the subject onto a more positive note.

"Are you two going to have children?" he asked all of a sudden.

I blushed at the question and looked down.

_I find this question kind of ironic since he asked previously was I pregnant, _I thought.

"He says he wants _ten_," I replied with a mischievous look, "can you imagine gramps? Me with ten kids?"

He chuckled when I said that.

"I could," he said, "and they would all be spitfires just like you."

I laughed softly at that and looked at him seriously for a moment.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He raised his eyebrows slightly.

"For what?" he asked.

"For not chastising me anymore," I replied, "I needed your approval, you're like a grandfather to me and what you say doesn't go without merit."

Gramps squeezed my hand after hearing that.

"Saria my lass," he started, "you were the granddaughter I never had, if my sons were still alive I would have wished for a granddaughter just like you."

I got choked up a little and bit my lower lip at hearing that. I hugged him again.

"I feel the same way," I said, "thank you."

Gramps hugged me a little tighter, then released me.

"You better get going," he told me, "I know you took quite a risk coming here to see me."

I nodded, knowing he was right.

"I'll visit you soon," I said, wiping my eyes with the back of my palms, "I promise."

With that, I left the shop and headed back to Lake Hylia. I wanted to be there when Link arrived. I was eager to know how his conversation went.

_Maybe, _I thought, feeling a little hopeful, _just maybe things are starting to look up._

~SSS~

Link's POV: Three Hours Later

I headed back to Lake Hylia at dusk. I had been idling on Hyrule Field for the past few hours in a semi daze, thinking the entire time about what Zelda had said to me. It seemed so illogical, but logical at the same time. If what she said was true, then there was no other way to defeat Zant. However, she could have been low balling me into believing that for the sake of forcing marriage on me. I never realized Zelda could be so cunning, but then again she was her father's daughter, and the royal family didn't have the shiniest history in the world. However, I wasn't exactly a saint either. I strung her along for eight years in courtship, asked her to marry me, and then decided to drop her at the slightest provocation of another woman... the woman I loved. Zelda had a right to be a little bitter, but I also had a right to some truth. She could have told me about Saria and hoped for the best, but she chose to keep her identity a secret, and now...

_She's not going to reprieve you Saria, _I thought, _so, what do I do now?_

I arrived back at the laboratory an hour later. I paused before I went up the porch steps to the front door. This was not going to be easy for anyone to hear.

_I have to relay this news delicately, _I thought.

I took in a deep troubled breath, then finally knocked on the door. The old man answered immediately. He saw my sullen expression and already knew I harbored bad news, even still he inquired anyway.

"What's happened?" he asked.

I shook my head, not really wanting to discuss the matter. All it did was upset me.

"Nothing I want to talk about," I replied honestly.

I moved past him into the living room and undid my cloak. I looked around and saw no sign of Saria or Cujo.

"Where are the others?" I asked puzzled, turning to look at the old man.

The scientist raised a brow at my inquiry.

"Saria escorted Cujo home," he replied. "He said something about needing to feed his dead bird."

I narrowed my eyes slightly when he said that.

"His _dead_ bird?" I inquired, making sure I heard right.

The elderly man shook his head.

"That's what he said," he replied shaking his head, then added, "I don't understand that fellow."

_No one understands Cujo, _I thought in honesty, _he's nuts._

"Just what did you need him for again?" the old man asked me.

I shook my head.

"Nothing really," I replied, "I got all my answers from him this morning. I just wanted to make sure he was safe."

The old man raised his eyebrows.

"Don't they have jails for that?" he asked.

I smirked at him and nodded.

"In all sincerity," I said, "Cujo really is harmless. It was just some horrible people trying to take advantage of him due to his mental state."

_Horrible people, _I repeated in my mind.

The old man merely nodded.

"I see," he replied, but then shook his head.

I looked out the window at the darkened sky a little concerned.

"When did they leave?" I asked, retracting the subject.

"About three hours ago," the old man replied.

I didn't like the sound of that.

_Where is she? _I wondered. _It doesn't take that long to get to Kakariko Village. _

"Why did she go alone?" I asked.

The doctor shrugged.

"You know how stubborn that girl is," he said, "however, I wouldn't worry, Saria will be back soon."

I sighed, wishing I felt more sure about that. With everything going on, the only way I felt secure about her absence was knowing she was with the doctor, the bazaar owner, or myself. I didn't trust anyone else, the royal family included. I wanted to see her through this whole situation delicately.

_She deserves to be treated with respect, _I thought, _she doesn't deserve what she's been given._

I sat down at the table and ran both my hands over my face in slight frustration. The old man saw my action and pulled up a chair to sit next to me.

"You're sure there's nothing you want to unload son?" he asked me again, seeing the expression on my face. "The least I can do is listen."

I took in a deep breath and raised an eyebrow, not sure I wanted to talk about what happened today just yet.

_How do you explain a complicated mess? _I wondered.

"How did Zelda explain her reasoning?" the doctor went on.

I scoffed to myself.

_That conniving..._ I trailed my thoughts, wanting to curse her, but realized it would do no good.

"It didn't matter what her reasons were," I replied, wishing I had another answer, "she said no."

The old man nodded and sighed.

"I figured as much," he replied.

I shook my head in dismay.

"I don't understand it," I said quietly more to myself than to him.

The old man scratched his chin.

"Some things are better left not understood," he replied, trying to be comforting, it wasn't really working.

I just nodded.

"I hate that I have to tell Saria this," I said, detracting the subject.

The old man grinned at me.

"Believe me, she was expecting this outcome," he said divulged, "she knew Zelda would never let you go so easily."

_That's because she's a selfish dictator, _I thought, letting my bitterness get the better of me for a moment. _A selfish dictator who I might have to marry to save the woman I want._

"I'm at a loss doctor," I said, shaking my head, "I don't know what to do."

The old man looked at me with open remorse.

"At least you and Saria have each other right now," he said, trying to find some solace.

I nodded, but didn't find any real conviction with that.

"Yeah," I said, not really hearing him.

There was a brief silence before the old man reached over and touched my shoulder.

"I have some interesting analysis on that crystal you gave me earlier," he said, changing the subject.

My mood perked when I heard that.

_I almost forgot about that, _I thought.

"What did you find out?" I asked.

The old man cleared his throat and stood up.

"Well," he began, "the crystal is made from twilight energy. Its primary function is to work as an oscillator, or wave gradient. It concentrates certain energy forms to specific locations."

I looked at the old man surprised, but puzzled.

"What?" I asked, making sure I heard him right.

The old man nodded.

"You mean concentrated twilight is pooling to that device?" I asked for clarity.

The old man nodded again.

"There's a specific wave form this device works on," he said to me, "it's pulling twilight energy from that dimension to this one."

I looked at him with raised brows.

"I found that device in my bedroom," I divulged.

The old man narrowed his eyes for a moment when I revealed that.

"Your bedroom?" he repeated puzzled.

"Yes," I replied, "and as I said before every time I hold it, I feel a surge of power flow through me. It's very strange."

The old man looked at me with uncertainty for a moment.

"You get stronger after each contact?" he asked.

I shrugged, not really knowing for sure.

"I suppose so," I replied, "I really don't know."

The old man shook his head.

"Who would put something so dangerous in your room?" he asked me.

I scoffed and gave him an obvious look.

"Zelda," I replied simply, "or at least it could have been her."

The old man raised his eyebrows.

"I see," he replied.

"She came to my bedroom last night trying to proposition me," I divulged. "While I was gone I think that's when she left it."

The old man looked at me confused.

"She propositioned you last night?" he asked perplexed.

I merely nodded.

"But... didn't you stay here?" he asked, clearly flummoxed.

I forgot, he didn't know the circumstances to my coming to the laboratory the previous night.

"Don't worry about the details," I stated, realizing it would be far less confusing if I just left the subject alone, "just know she is probably the culprit."

The old man raised his eyebrows and sighed.

"Okay," he said, shaking his head, "I still don't understand why such a potentially deadly implement was left in a residential area."

_I don't either, _I thought, _unless..._

I looked away from the old man uncertainly, but gave my own personal view anyway.

"I think the royal family was trying to gauge how much energy my body could absorb," I said theoretically.

The old man still looked at me confused.

"Why?" he asked, still wanting a reasonable rationale.

I took in a deep breath.

"I transform when I cross into the Twilight Realm," I confessed. "I turn into a wolf. I think the royal family was trying to see how small exposures of twilight energy would affect my overall physical health."

The old man looked at me surprised and nodded plausibly at my explanation, but then a troubled expression came across his face.

"My only problem is, they have no idea how such experimentations could affect the time continuum between the Twilight Realm and Hyrule," the old man said worrisome. "Twilight energy should never be taken lightly. Dr. Dirac warned the king of this years ago. It seems the king didn't follow his advice."

I sighed.

_When does the king follow anyone's advice? _I thought of Daphnes' stubbornness.

"What do you think could happen?" I asked.

The old man shook his head.

"It's quite possible that a portal can be developed from such caustic use of that energy," he said in passing.

My eyes widened when he said that.

_Wait a minute... _I thought.

"What?" I asked surprised.

The old man's eyes widened as well when he had the same sudden realization I just had.

"It could possibly cause inter-dimensional distortions!" he said with growing panic.

I looked away from him and swallowed hard.

_That could create portals all over Hyrule! _I thought. _That's exactly what Zant wants!_

"How many of those devices are in circulation?" the old man asked me suddenly.

I shook my head.

"I have no idea," I replied, but just then another thought came to my mind, "what about Saria's implant?"

The old man's eyes widened.

"That-that crystal is based off twilight technology," he stammered nervously, "it's quite possible all this time twilight energy was being filtered into this world using Saria's body."

I looked at the old man shocked.

"What?" I demanded, feeling my breath get caught in my throat.

The old man looked away from me concerned.

"Where the hell did you get those things to begin with?" I demanded, detracting the subject. "I thought you developed that device with Dr. Dirac?"

The old man quickly scratched his forehead as he thought.

"Dr. Dirac reestablished the frequency that already lay dormant within the device," he explained. "He then reconfigured it with another fixation and caused a slight diffraction. The _actual _orifice was provided to us by the royal family."

I couldn't believe it.

_Daphnes and his damn secrets! _I thought. _I knew one day it would implode on him, I just didn't think it would be literally!_

"You guys were experimenting with a foreign object without knowing the implications?" I demanded. "And you didn't think they would have any crazy adverse effects?"

The old man sighed.

"We were so excited to practice on such an advanced technology," he admitted, "we didn't think about the long term ramifications."

_Great, _I thought with open sarcasm, _this is just priceless._

I swallowed hard and shook my head, but then had another sobering concern.

"What could possibly happen to Saria?" I asked, detracting the subject.

The old man looked away from me for a moment, he didn't answer.

_That can't be a good sign. _I thought.

"Doctor?" I pressed impatiently.

The doctor sighed.

"She could possibly be ripped to shreds if there was a massive portal shift," he said finally. "_That is _only _if_ her body has enough composited twilight energy."

I ran a hand through my hair in disbelief.

_That implant is under her goddamn skin, _I thought upset, _how will she_ not_ have composited energy stored?_

I looked at the old man dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

"This can't be happening," I heard myself whisper.

The old man merely nodded.

"It's a possibility," he said, then added, "I'm sorry."

I thought back to what Saria had told me.

_"Zant's been working nonstop on some crazy project regarding the time shift stones..." _her voice echoed through my mind, _"...Be on the lookout during the engagement party."_

"He's got to be using these crystals to try and pour twilight all over Hyrule," I said quietly, "even the one in Saria's body. He's going to wait until there is enough resonance and strike within a few days."

The old man looked at me in alarm.

"How do you know this?" he asked me.

I shook my head.

"I don't," I said honestly, "it's a hunch I have."

The old man sighed.

"That's one hell of a hunch," he said. "I hope you're wrong, because if you aren't Hylia help us all."

_Hylia help us all indeed, _I thought.

I got up from the table and went to look out the window. I was beginning to feel the weight of all these pressing matters. There was so much going on and so little time.

_If it's not one thing it's another, _I thought, closing my eyes.

I stared out the window and got more worried about Saria's absence as the darkness progressed.

_Where are you Saria? _I thought.

"Do these crystals react off each other to create portals?" I asked the old man, trying to stay focused and not worry.

The old man shook his head.

"I don't know," he said honestly, "that's a question for the royal family."

_Great, _I thought sarcastically, _those are the last people I want to talk to._

"I don't think the princess and I are on speaking terms at the moment," I replied with a deep sigh.

The old man merely looked at me.

"You need to put your pride aside, and alert them to the very real danger now upon us," he divulged.

I hated to admit it, but the old man was right. I needed reason and logic, not emotion and irrationality.

"I'll speak with them tomorrow," I muttered to myself.

_That is something to look forward to, _I thought and raised my eyebrows.

A moment later, I finally saw Saria walking up over the grassy expanse. I sighed in relief when I realized she was okay. When she caught me staring at her through the window, she smiled and waved. I grinned and waved back at her.

_She could brighten anyone's day, _I thought of her sunny disposition.

However, when Saria was near the porch something strange happened. A bright light appeared over Lake Hylia causing a blinding white flash to demarcate across the sky. I held up my hands to cover my eyes and lost sight of Saria's whereabouts in the flash. When I realized I couldn't see her any longer, I hurried to the door and went outside.

"Saria!" I called out to her in alarm.

The light dissipated a few moments later and a fractal space suspended above Lake Hylia was left behind.

_What the hell is that? _I thought, looking up at the strange spatial distortion.

Saria was lying on the ground as if she had been knocked down. She sat up slowly and shook her head.

"What was that?" I heard her say.

When Saria saw the fractal suspension her eyes widened in puzzlement.

"What _is _that?" she asked with a little fright in her voice.

I hurried to her.

In the meantime, a shadow beast dropped from the sequenced space into the water below. The beast went through a strange mid-aerial transformation before it hit the surface. The kyphosis on its back stretched and elongated into a tentacle with suction cups and pincers. It hit the water with a loud splash. When I saw that, I doubled my power walk to a sprint. I was almost to Saria, when the new tentacle cladding beast whipped its vestige out of the water and wrapped it around Saria's ankle.

"Ah!" she cried out in fear.

It began pulling her down to the shoreline to the water.

"Saria!" I said in alarm.

I quickly jumped for her and grabbed her hand, she latched onto me immediately. She looked at me with great fear in her eyes.

"Just hold on to me!" I ordered trying to get a hold of something on the shoreline: a boulder, a rock, a _something_.

We were being dragged rapidly to the water's edge. I looked around, mercilessly cursing myself for leaving my sword in the laboratory.

_Damn it! _I thought. _Damn it! Goddamn it!_

I quickly turned my attention to the old man in the window and signaled for some help. His eyes widened immediately and he nodded his understanding of my gesture. I turned back to Saria, she was hanging onto me for dear life.

"Link!" she said fearfully. "Don't let me go!"

It was much different language than from our last near death experience.

_She's learning, _I thought, trying to stay calm.

"I won't!" I called back to her.

I looked over my shoulder again when I saw the old man open the door and hurry outside with my sword and my satchel. He quickly threw the items in my vicinity. I caught my sword with my free hand by the blade, and unintentionally sliced at my wrist.

"Ah!" I groaned in pain.

I turned back to Saria and we quickly approached the water.

"I have to let go of you once we get undertow!" I explained. "As soon as I cut that tentacle, you swim for the surface!"

Saria nodded quickly, stating she understood.

"Alright!" she called out over the loudness of the splashing.

The creature continued to grapple at Saria's leg until we were both submerged underwater. I immediately let go of Saria's hand and gripped my sword. I swam over to the shadow beast's back where the tentacle protruded, and cut fiercely at its core. Muddled screeches of pain precluded the sound barrier, as the water turned purplish black with blood. I tried to saw quickly, while Saria was manually trying to release herself from the monsters suction on the tentacle was proving harder to break free of. My lungs began to burn from a lack of air. I sawed faster, and once the vestige was completely removed I signaled for Saria to swim to the surface.

"Go! Now!" I called out against the nautical resistance.

Saria swam as fast as she could and broke water a few moments later. I immediately followed after her, but found I was not as fortunate as she was in reaching the surface. The shadow beast had regenerated its tentacle and found a new captive, me.

_Oh crap, _I thought.

I quickly applied the same technique to saving myself as I did to Saria. I sawed and cut, until the liquefaction become so dark and bloody I nearly vomited from disgust. I was starting to lose consciousness due to the lack of oxygen to my brain, and my lungs were burning so badly, it was as if I had a punctured lung.

_I just need a little more time lungs, _I told myself, finding the burning sensation almost unbearable.

A moment later, I heard a muddled splash and I saw Saria quickly swimming to my aid. She had a knife in her grip and began cutting at the tentacle the same as I. We finally cut through the last bit of flesh and then quickly swam to the surface. Saria immediately came and helped me to the shoreline when she saw I was struggling with my breathing. I coughed and vomited water for the next few minutes.

_That was close, _I thought, _how in the hell did that thing get here?_

Saria was helping me by ensuring my head didn't fall to my chest and decrease my work of breathing. I turned to see if the shadow beast was going to come around for another assault, but I saw nothing displace the surface.

_Is it gone? _I wondered.

A moment later, there was a loud and immediate explosion from underneath the water. Saria involuntarily jumped into my arms from the abrupt sound. My eyes widened in surprise.

_That damn thing was going to get us one way or another, _I thought, realizing how close to death we really were.

I held Saria tight just then, grateful she was okay. I smirked at her pretty face, when I saw her bangs plastered onto her forehead. She looked like she had no eyes for a moment, but my smirk quickly faded when I looked up and saw an unexpected visitor terrorizing the shoreline.

_What in the...? _I thought.

Saria stroked her wet bangs from her face, and looked perplexed at my expression. She then turned to see what had captured my attention. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh my goddess," I heard her whisper.

_Zant_ was standing on the shoreline with the scientist in his capture. He used the tentacled shadow beast as a distraction for his teleportation.

I immediately let Saria go and stood up.

My heart began to pound rapidly in my chest.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded quietly, knowing I had to be careful if I wanted to save the old man's life.

"Well, well, well," Zant began looking around, "so this is Lake Hylia. It's very beautiful."

Saria stood up soon after me and took in a deep labored breath.

"Oh no," she whispered of the old man's plight.

The old man looked stoic in Zant's grip.

I looked to the old man and then to Zant.

"Let him go," I said to Zant quietly, "he has nothing to do with our business."

Zant looked at me and smiled wickedly.

"Oh, but he does," he whispered to me, "he was the assistant to that bastard Dirac. I could never forget such a willing disciple."

I swallowed hard and took a step toward Zant.

"If it's a fight you want-" I started.

"No, no," Zant interrupted, "I don't want to fight. I still remember what you did to me last time. You ran away."

I saw Saria walk up behind me in my periphery, but I stopped her advance.

"I won't run away this time," I promised, "just let the old man go."

Saria's eyes grew wide.

Zant looked from her to me and raised his blade to the old man's throat.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Zant asked me.

My eyes were fixated on that blade.

_He's going to kill him, _I thought.

"You have my word as a knight," I replied.

Zant immediately started laughing.

"What do such silly notions like your being a knight mean to me?" Zant asked me rhetorically.

I kept my eyes fixed on his blade.

"You think your honor's going to save you?" Zant went on. "You think your honor's going to save _him_?"

I felt my heart accelerate when I realized he was going to try and kill the old man.

"It might," I said, trying to buy some time.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Saria getting a tight grip on a blade she had secured in her pants.

_Just give her enough time to throw accurately, _I thought.

"Don't worry about me," the old man said bravely, "I've lived long enough, go save yourselves and the royal family."

Zant smirked. "You see," he began, "he doesn't think you can save him either."

I took a step toward Zant.

"Easy there," Zant replied pressing the blade closer to the old man's throat, "we wouldn't want any accidents would we?"

Saria was looking at Zant focused.

I had my fingers behind my back. I was going to initiate a countdown with my fingers.

The old man's expression didn't change.

"He can't stay out of the portal too long," the old man divulged boldly, "the twilight energy right now is only composited, he can only last in Hyrule for a few more minutes."

"Shut up!" Zant snapped angrily. "I should cut your damn throat right now!"

I saw this as the opportunity.

"Don't do this Zant," I said, counting down from three.

Zant rolled his eyes.

"You know your whole 'white knight heroics thing' is really annoying," Zant said to me, "you keep insisting that rules and paradigms are the great equalizer."

I counted down to two.

"I know why you're angry," I said, trying to negotiate, "but this isn't the way to do it."

Zant scoffed.

"Right," he said with open sarcasm, "I suppose you want me to call the royal family for tea, and say let's discuss our feelings in a calm manner."

I took in a deep breath.

"No Zant," I said, counting down to one, "that's not what I'm saying at all."

_Do it, _I thought.

As if on cue, Saria quickly flung the dagger at Zant's right hand, but he parried the attack as if expecting it. Zant narrowed his eyes at her.

"You think that you can trick _me_?" he asked rhetorically. "I _live _for trickery bitch!"

Saria froze when she saw she missed.

"You see, now the old man _has_ to die," Zant said quietly, and shook his head, "and it's all your fault dark maiden."

Zant then pressed the blade back to the old man's neck and cut his throat.

_Dear Hylia, _I thought.

"No!" Saria screamed, immediately running to the old man as he slumped to the ground, blood was pouring from his neck.

I looked at Zant shocked, he merely stared back.

"You bastard!" I snapped.

"That's how _I _leave a fight sir knight," Zant said to me with growing menace, "you tell Daphnes I will have his head in one week."

With that, Zant teleported away.

_Next time you come here, it's going to be you and me, _I thought as a promise.

I immediately turned my attention to the old man. Saria was cradling him and applying pressure to the wound.

"Go in the house and get a blue potion!" Saria ordered to me in a trembling voice. "Now!"

I nodded and hurried back to the laboratory and burst through the door. I headed down the adjacent hall to the parlor. I picked up several bottles of blue potion and then hurried back outside. Saria turned to look at me as I approached. I quickly tossed her a blue potion in a minute decision. Saria caught it with her free hand and immediately popped the cork. She then began funneling the fluid down the old man's throat. She sat him up when she saw the wound beginning to close. I hurried back to the shoreline with more towels. Saria immediately took them and pressed them against the old man's neck.

"Come on," I heard her whisper in a trembling voice, "give me a sign."

I glanced at her reflectively for a moment, having a moment of deja vu.

_I know just how you feel Saria, _I thought, remembering I was just as terrified of losing her when she got poisoned.

After several minutes, the old man finally opened his eyes. When Saria saw that she burst into tears and hugged him tight.

"Oh thank the goddess!" she said happily. "I thought you were a goner!"

The old man smiled at her weakly.

"There's still some fight in these old bones," he rasped to her.

Saria smiled through her tears.

"What are you talking about?" Saria joked, wiping her cheeks. "You still have another hundred years left."

The old man smiled at her trying to comfort him.

"Of course my dear," he said weakly, "of course. I plan on out living you."

I took in a collective sigh of relief when I saw him come to, and have a near complete closure of his wound.

_Thank the goddess, _I thought.

Saria immediately hugged him closer to her. I watched the two of them for a moment.

_It would've been like losing a father, _I thought. _For a while, he and the bazaar owner was all she had._

Saria stroked his thinning hair and cradled him tightly before releasing him to try and pick him up. When I saw that, I immediately stopped her.

"Here, let me," I said, putting a hand on Saria's shoulder.

She turned and looked at me, but then moved out of the way. I picked the old man up and brought him to his bedroom inside the laboratory. Saria didn't leave his side. Seeing she wanted to take care of him, I went back to the living room and waited for her at the kitchen table. Saria gave the old man more blue potion and waited for his blood pressure to elevate before watching him safely go to sleep. When he was stable, she closed his room door, and joined me in the living room. Saria wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, and only realized then she was still soaking wet. Shaking her head at her resolve she came and sat down at the table across from me.

"How is he?" I asked.

She nodded.

"He's better," she sniffled, "he needs some rest, that was a pretty bad cut."

_That crazy bastard could have killed him, _I thought angrily, _that crazy bastard tried to kill him._

I sighed and nodded.

There was a brief silence that fell upon us.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

Saria merely nodded.

"I'm alive," she said, looking at her hands, "thanks to you again."

I reflected on how true that statement was.

_Yes, you are alive, _I thought, _and it's going to stay that way._

I reached over and took her hand in mine. Saria squeezed my hand back, but then pulled from my grip.

"What did... what did _she_ say?" she asked me, without looking at me.

I sighed, not wanting to discuss this, but I knew I was going to have to face this sooner or later. I stared at her for a moment, not wanting to tell her the truth.

_If I tell her what happened today, she's going to lose hope, _I thought.

I looked away from her just then.

"I didn't ask her yet," I lied.

Saria glanced up at me and stared at me with narrowed eyes for a moment. I knew she didn't believe me. After a few moments of studying my face, she grinned at me.

"You're such a liar," she half-joked.

I ran a hand through my wet hair uncomfortably.

"It's true," I continued looking away from her face.

Saria's grin never went away.

"You know how I can tell when you lie," she stated to me.

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"How?" I asked.

Her grin broadened to a smile.

"Your nose twitches slightly," she replied.

Inadvertently, I went to touch my nose, and that's when she tricked me.

"Gotcha!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Your nose doesn't twitch. I just said that to see how you'd react. _Now _I know you lied."

I widened my eyes at her irritably. I was not in any mood to be tricked, but I couldn't help but grin at her good nature and perceptiveness.

_She knows me too well, _I thought.

I took in a deep breath.

"Okay, you're right, I did speak with her," I said finally.

Saria bit her lower lip and looked at me with expectance.

"And?" she asked, her voice already had a hint of knowing in it.

I paused for a moment and sighed.

"And… she said no," I muttered disappointed.

Saria didn't say anything for a moment. She sat back in her chair and just nodded.

"I figured as much," she said to herself.

I sat back myself, wishing I had a better answer to that question.

"Saria-" I started.

"Please Link," she interrupted softly, running her fingers through her wet hair, "it's okay, I was expecting this."

I fidgeted with the salt shaker on the table upset.

"I wasn't," I said absently.

Saria just stared at me for a moment and gave me a half smile.

"Yes, you were," she perceived, "you were just too hopeful, like me."

I grunted and continued to rotate the salt shaker between my fingers.

I didn't reply.

"I went to speak to gramps today when I dropped Cujo off," she said.

I looked up at her just then.

"Did you?" I asked. "How is he?"

She nodded.

"He's doing okay," she said and paused, then added, "I told him you asked me to marry you."

I looked at her surprised.

"You did?" I inquired.

She nodded again and blushed.

"I..." she trailed, "I probably should have waited."

I felt my eyes narrow just then.

"Are you giving up?" I demanded with a slightly raised voice.

Saria looked at me surprised.

"No," she said, "but I'm trying to be realistic."

She was starting to piss me off.

"The realism is you're _going_ to be my wife!" I said upset. "I love-" I caught myself.

Saria looked at me with widened eyes.

I swallowed hard and looked away from her.

"That selfish witch..." I muttered to myself.

Saria looked at me confused.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing!" I said fanning her off harshly.

We fell silent after that. Saria saw my upset mood and tried to cheer me up. However, what she brought up was not what I wanted to discuss.

"Link, you're going to be a great king," she encouraged, "the people love you. You'll be equitable, and easy going. Zelda will be-" she stopped herself when she realized what she was going to say.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to discuss this any further. I didn't say anything. I squeezed the salt shaker in my grip hoping it would break. I was just that upset.

_Saria let it go, _I thought.

Instead of leaving the subject alone, Saria chuckled and went on.

"I never would have imagined you, the guy who peed in Mido's pumpkin patch, as the future king of Hyrule," she said softly, shaking her head.

I raised my eyebrows and sighed.

_Neither would I, _I thought.

I turned from looking at her. I knew she was trying to comfort me, but it wasn't working.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," I said lowly, wanting to change the subject, "leave it alone, okay."

"Link-" she tried.

"Drop it Saria!" I snapped slamming the salt shaker on the table. "I mean it!"

Saria looked at me surprised at the blunt reaction. She bit her lower lip and didn't pursue the subject any further.

"Okay, you win," she said quietly, sitting back in her chair, "sorry."

I didn't want to take my anger out on her. She didn't deserve that. I ran my hands through my hair frustratingly again and got up. I went to go look out the window, not caring that my clothes were sodden and sticking to me.

_This is just too much, _I thought. _How did everything spiral out of control?_

Saria stared after me for a moment, then came and stood next to me by the window.

"Let's talk about something else," Saria suggested, breaking the silence and looking at the star lit horizon. "There are more important things to consider than our feelings for each other at the moment. We have to think about what just happened, and the safety of Hyrule."

I hated to admit it, but she was right. The confrontation with Zant just spearheaded the significance of protecting the country over the personal matters of two simple people.

_My wants have to wait, _I thought.

I just nodded.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked me.

I shook my head, and took in a deep breath.

"I have to talk to his majesty," I said simply.

Saria nodded.

"That's a start," she said, "they need an evacuation plan for the citizens if things get too untoward."

I glanced over at her, admiring her perceptive nature.

"That's true," I replied.

We fell silent for a moment looking at the horizon.

"How did things get so complicated Sar?" I asked her all of a sudden.

Saria chuckled and raised her eyebrows.

"I think they've always been complicated Link," she said honestly, "we're just two small people in a very big world."

I grinned at her.

"That's just like you to say something like that," I said to her.

She grinned back.

"And it's just like you to be too serious for your own good," she replied, "lighten up Mr. Killjoy."

My grin turned to a smile.

"I'll try," I said.

She raised an eyebrow at me and gave me a stern look.

"Try harder," she said.

I stared deeply into her eyes and thought about what she was telling me.

"Okay," I replied.

I turned to look back out the window.

Saria looked as well.

"I don't want you anywhere near the castle next week," I said, changing the subject.

Saria looked at me surprised.

"What?" she asked confused. "You might need my help."

I shook my head.

"No," I said firmly, "I won't risk you getting hurt."

Saria rolled her eyes and looked away.

"Link-" she tried.

"I said no," I interrupted.

I didn't care if she was upset. I couldn't live with myself knowing she was putting her life on the line for people who hated her.

"Link-" she tried to protest again.

I took her by the shoulders.

"Promise me," I interrupted.

She didn't answer immediately.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Promise me," I repeated more firmly.

Saria only nodded. She wouldn't look at me.

I lifted her chin to face me.

"I'm not going to let you gamble with your life anymore," I said, "you're too important to me."

Saria stared into my eyes and I saw her throat tighten.

"But I could help you," she said with quiet defiance.

I took in a deep breath at her stubbornness.

"If you want to help me, you could just stay alive," I said to her. "I just need you to stay alive."

Saria nodded again.

"Okay," she replied.

I then took her in my arms and gave her a tight secure hug. It was only then that I realized we were both still soaking wet. Saria drew back and shrugged.

"We better change before we catch cold," she suggested.

"Yeah," I agreed.

Saria released herself from me, and I stared after her thinking about what just happened and all that needed to be done.

_I've got to stop Zant, _I thought with a sigh, _b__ut before I do that I have to speak to Daphnes._

I turned back around and looked at the starlit sky once more.

_I need to speak with the king tomorrow, _I thought, _but the question is, will he be honest with me?_

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 21 is coming soon!<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**Inspirations: Sword fencing, _absence of blade _guard stance, _Balestra _lunge attack, _au Fer _parry to the _Balestra. _**

**Original Shout Outs: Anon/Aily, ****IllEatThat, ****Pitsi, thanks for reading.**

**New Shout Out: BluBlaze Dragon thanks for reading new reader.**

**Author's Note: Reedited 3/27/2013- My inspiration should tell you where this chapter is going to go lol, enjoy the read. ~ZR~**

**ADDENDUM 3/28/2013- At the suggestion of the reader Katia2030 I reedited the last little portion to include some lucid dialogue from the princess lol. Thank you for the suggestion Katia2030 and I hope the reedit meets your approval. ~ZR~**

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><p>Chapter 21<p>

I woke up before dawn. I was staying with Saria and the doctor at the lab, so I made sure to be quiet. I cleaned myself, changed into an extra tunic Saria mended for me, and readied to head for Castle Town. Before I left, I made sure to check on Saria and the old man. They were both sound asleep. Saria made a minute decision last night to stay in the old man's room to look after him. She was sleeping in a chair. I grinned at the sight of her, but I felt my grin slowly fade while staring at her. Seeing her made me realize the seriousness of the situation all over again.

_I have to remember these two when I talk to the king, _I thought, needing to keep myself in check. _I have to remember these two, and understand the resolve._

I took in a deep breath before closing the door and leaving the house. I hurried in my stride as I rode Epona, and arrived at Castle Town right before the sun rose above the mountains in the distance. I had an agenda that day: I needed to inform Daphnes of the impending attack, discuss the crystal implications, formulate a plan in saving the citizens, and ask for another pardon on Saria's behalf.

_Daphnes, you have no choice but to be honest with me today, _I thought definitively _I know everything, and I'm going to make you come clean._

When the time for the king to receive audiences became nigh, I went to the castle. I wasn't going to wait to have an audience with the king, I was going to be the first person he saw, whether he wanted to see me or not.

_The time for games is over, _I thought, _the whole kingdom is in danger._

I waited outside the counsel room and paced down the hall. A meeting with Daphnes was always unpredictable. I never knew what the outcome would be.

_I went to jail one time, _I thought, shaking my head, _the last time we spoke, I ended up with a sore jaw._

I continued to pace, and tried to organize the thoughts in my head.

_Zelda no doubt told her father about our conversation yesterday, _I thought, _however,_ _t__here's no way I can allow that to dominate the discussion. The previous recent events were too serious, and too precarious to cast to the wayside._

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes.

_This is important, _I thought, trying to calm my heart, _it's all about how you conduct yourself Link._

I noticed some of the guards eyeing me with open suspicion when they saw I was just wandering around the hall.

_Don't worry, _I thought, _you'll all be in the know soon enough._

When I heard the gong for processions to take place, I immediately headed for the door. I noticed a merchant walking down the hall in the opposite direction looking at me confused. Soon, his confusion turned to contempt when he saw me enter the throne room before him.

"Hey!" he called out to me.

I didn't turn to acknowledge him, and as soon as I was inside I locked the door.

There would be no interruptions.

_Not this time, _I thought.

I turned to see shocked and confused looks on both Zelda and Daphnes' faces.

"What is the meaning of this?" the king demanded in immediacy.

Zelda only looked at me and narrowed her eyes. I bowed, trying to release some of the tension by negating it with a sign of respect.

"I have some urgent news your majesty," I answered.

Daphnes looked at me angrily.

"Whatever it is, it can wait," he stated.

I looked at him in defiance.

"No sire," I said, not losing my respectful tone, "it can't."

Zelda's eyes widened at the boldness of my rhetoric.

"Father," she started, still keeping her eyes on me, "I think we need to hear him out."

I glanced over at her, but didn't look at her for too long. I knew there was still unresolved tension between us.

_I wouldn't be surprised if she hated me a little now, _I thought, but tried not to lose focus.

Daphnes looked over at his daughter briefly, then decided to yield to her reasoning.

"Very well," he said with a troubled sigh.

Zelda turned her attention back to me.

"You have the floor, Sir Link," she said to me.

I ignored the inflection in her voice and bowed my head slightly.

"Thank you," I replied, then turned back to Daphnes. "Sire, there are some alarming events taking place as we speak going on across Hyrule."

Daphnes leaned forward on his throne, showing I had his full attention.

"Alarming events?" he inquired with a quizzical brow. "What events?"

I took in a deep breath.

"The villain known as Zant is preparing to strike Hyrule," I divulged, not wasting any time.

Daphnes and Zelda's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"How do you know of this?" Daphnes asked me in an almost inaudible tone.

I looked straight in the king's eyes.

"He told me," I replied.

Daphnes sat back in his seat.

"Great Hylia," he whispered to himself.

I took a step forward.

"He's creating portals with some crystalline Twili sorcery," I went on, "he created one over Lake Hylia yesterday."

Zelda's eyebrow rose when she heard me say that.

"You... were staying at Lake Hylia?" she inquired.

I looked over at her briefly.

"Yes," I replied as flat as possible.

I didn't want the conversation seguing to something as silly as that.

_This is far too important, _I thought.

"Where did you find out this information about the crystals?" Daphnes asked me, detracting the subject.

I looked at Daphnes, not sure I wanted to give up my source, but realized people's lives were in danger, and such insignificance had to go by the wayside for the moment.

"The ophthalmologist at Lake Hylia was an assistant to the former royal alchemist Dr. Dirac," I explained. "He did an analysis of the crystals, and stated it had twilight energy properties. Not only that, but he stated the energy is creating a rift between our world and the twilight one. If something is not done to stop it, the whole land will be covered and overtaken."

Daphnes' eyes widened when he heard me say that.

"He told you these things?" the king inquired of me.

I looked at him with slight auspiciousness.

_Don't divert Link, _I told myself.

"Yes," I replied.

Daphnes took in an unsettled breath and sat back in his throne.

"This is grave indeed," he murmured to himself.

_Yes, Daphnes, _I thought, _it is._

There was a brief tense silence.

"Where did those crystals come from sire?" I asked, changing the subject.

I needed answers now.

Daphnes looked at me surprised.

"Do you dare to question me?" he asked me.

_Don't do this,_ I thought, _now__ is not the time for this_.

"I'm afraid I must ask sire," I said, trying to stay respectful, "I need a counterattack to stop Zant's advance. I _need _to know where you got the crystals."

Zelda glanced from me to her father and remained silent. Daphnes took in a deep breath before he answered.

"The crystals were an offering of peace and goodwill to my grandfather from the king of the Twili," he divulged.

_The same king your grandfather had killed, _I thought in slight disgust.

"What happened to the relations between the two kings sire?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

I wanted to see if he was going to be honest with me.

_Will he answer? _I wondered.

Daphnes looked at me surprised.

"Why do you... ask such a question?" he demanded of me.

I held in a scoff.

_Really sire? _I wondered in disbelief.

"I need to know why a one time ally is now a potential conqueror," I said in a rather blunt fashion.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me. Zelda looked at me knowingly, already keen on where I was about to take this conversation.

"Link-" she tried circumvent.

_Oh no you don't, _I thought, _that isn't flying with me today._

"With all due respect your highness, I need to hear this from his majesty," I interrupted.

Zelda looked at me dumbfounded for a moment.

Daphnes was stunned as well.

"How dare you speak to a princess of Hyrule in such a fashion?" he said to me angrily. "What makes you _think_ you have the right to speak in such a manner?"

I raised a brow and narrowed my eyes slightly.

"My right as _regent_ of Hyrule sire," I replied boldly. "The princess told me herself that my rank is only _second_ to you."

Zelda looked at me minor disbelief, but gave me a subtle look of admiration.

"Bravo master Link, you certainly are clever," she said with a slight smirk, then added in a whisper, "I didn't think you would ever use it against me."

Daphnes pursed his lips together in anger. He saw nothing _admirable _in what I just did.

"Now, see here sir knight-" Daphnes started.

_No, _I thought, _this conversation is not going to end on stupid informal semantics. You have have to take control of the floor, _I told myself.

"I _know_ Zant is your uncle your majesty," I interrupted.

Daphnes' eyes widened in surprise, and honestly for a moment, with a little bit of fear.

_I knew that would shut you up, _I thought.

There was a brief silence that hushed throughout the room.

"You... know?" the king uttered finally.

I nodded, not taking my eyes off him.

"I know," I repeated.

Daphnes' throat tightened.

"How-_how_ do you know?" he stammered.

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"He told me in combat," I replied.

Zelda didn't look at all surprised, seeing that she revealed Zant's lineage to me herself yesterday. Daphnes swallowed hard and looked away from me.

"What else did he tell you?" he asked.

I looked to the ground, then back to the king in a moment of introspection.

"He told me about his mother, and the love affair she had with your grandfather," I went on, "I know they were both forced into the Twilight Realm due to what the impact of what his birth might mean to the throne of Hyrule."

Daphnes listened with apparent anxiety. He didn't know how to reply.

"The Twili queen was a beautiful woman," the king divulged all of a sudden, "my grandfather simply got caught up in the whiles of her seductive nature."

I nearly let out another scoff.

_That's just like you to blame it all on someone else, _I thought, _save it,_ _I already know how this family operates._

"Of course, sire," was all I replied.

The king shifted nervously on his throne, then turned his gaze back to me.

"Do you know the manner of the king of the Twilis death?" he asked me.

I raised a brow slightly surprised.

_Oh, do you want to come clean? _I thought, still remembering the barbaric nature of his beheading.

"Yes," I said, "he was beheaded and his blood was poured onto the Mirror of Twilight like a ritual sacrifice."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at me when she heard me say that.

"Ritual sacrifice?" she repeated.

I ignored her.

_You know exactly what I mean, _I thought.

Daphnes groaned at the undercurrent of contempt in my voice. I knew it would set him off, but there was no way I could hide it. What was done to the Twili king was reprehensible.

"Yes, he was beheaded," he reiterated, "but his parting words revealed he was _not_ as virtuous as you might believe him to be, sir knight."

I shook my head and looked away from him for a moment.

_Just like a madman to justify madness, _I thought in disgust.

"And what would those words be sire?" I asked, wanting him to get to the point.

Daphnes stared into my eyes disquietedly.

"The Twili king said '_usque illud non esset mortuus,_'" he mocked quietly, "meaning 'his death would not be the end of it all.'"

I looked from Daphnes to Zelda in open contempt, only to see her look away.

_Even_ she_ sees the shame in what the royal family did to him, _I thought.

"At first, I thought he was talking about Zant," Daphnes continued, "but then I realized he was talking about _something_ else."

I looked at him confused.

_Something else? _I wondered.

"Sire?" I pressed, wanting him to continue.

Daphnes shifted uncomfortably again. Zelda was looking at her father discontented as well, as if she didn't know what he was about to reveal.

"The Twili king's death... _activated_ a dormant energy inside the crystals," he divulged finally.

Zelda's mouth dropped.

"What?" she whispered.

I glanced over at her.

_Looks like I wasn't the only one left in the dark, _I thought.

Daphnes nodded.

"The Twili king's body dissipated soon after his beheading," the king revealed. "At first, we thought the Twili came and took his body, but there was an actual eye witness to the event, the executioner."

I stayed quiet while he continued.

"When I encountered Zant years ago, after he reestablished a connection to Hyrule, he revealed his father's parting words to me," Daphnes said with a far away look. "He also told me the Twili king _knew_ he was going to be betrayed, and further explained the fallen king told him he would '_help'_ him exact his revenge."

I looked at Daphnes confused again when he said this.

"Help him?" I said to him for clarification.

Daphnes took in a deep frustrated breath.

"Zant was speaking of his father's activation of the Twili crystals," he divulged gruffly. "I tried to stop the interdict by enlisting the help of Dr. Dirac to study the essence of the gems. He found the energy could be contained by the combined power of the Triforce."

_The same crystals you had implanted into Saria, _I thought upset, but didn't say anything.

I shook my head, still not understanding why one crystal was hiding in my room underneath the floor.

"Sire, I found one of those crystals in my house," I divulged, changing the subject. "Why was it put there?"

Daphnes now looked at _me_ puzzled.

"What?" he asked me. "There was crystal in your residence?"

Zelda quickly segued into the conversation.

"I can explain that," she said, then directed her attention to me. "I knew how the crystals reacted to the Triforce of Wisdom," she said, "I had to know how the crystals reacted to the Triforce of Courage… so I had one placed there."

_Just as I suspected, _I thought.

Daphnes looked at Zelda surprised.

"My dear," the king said cautiously to his daughter, "it's not safe to trifle with contraptions that we don't know that well."

I tried not to let it show, but I narrowed my eyes in disbelief, and this time the scoff escaped.

_You're worried about that now? _I thought.

Zelda shook her head in disagreement to her father's words.

"We had to take the chance father," she replied, "I _needed_ that stored energy."

I looked at her perplexed.

"Needed _what _stored energy?" I inquired of her.

Zelda took in a deep breath.

"I secretly had a weapon made with the stored energy of the crystal," she confessed.

I looked at her surprised, but my surprise again turned to confusion.

"But the crystal is still in my possession," I replied, "how are you able to store its energy?"

_They don't need to know it's no longer in my home, _I thought.

Zelda raised her eyebrows.

"It doesn't matter," she replied, "that particular crystal has an inputted gradient that directs the energy here to the castle. I had it set up that way to store your energy and my energy into a crystalline sword. That sword can be used to defeat Zant, but unfortunately it will not hold him for longer than a year." She looked away just then. "That's... that's why..." she trailed, unable to finish.

That's _why you need me to marry you, _I finished in my head. I didn't verbalize my thoughts because that year of time gave me a glimmer of hope. _Maybe another way can be found to fuse the seal, _I thought, _maybe Saria and I can still have a future together._

With the thought in mind, I decided to bring up the seamstress's situation. I knew if Saria were standing there right now, she would have scolded me and insisted I let the matter go, but I couldn't. I loved her and I wanted her to be free.

_You deserve your freedom Saria, _I thought.

"Your majesty," I began with a deep breath, "how can... these crystals effect a _person_ they were implanted into."

Daphnes raised his eyebrows, while Zelda narrowed her eyes at me. She knew exactly where I was going with this.

_I don't care if this is something you want to avoid, _I thought, _I'm _not _letting this go._

I waited for the king's reply.

"I..." he trailed cautiously, "I wouldn't know."

I then looked over at Zelda.

"Your highness?" I asked her.

Zelda just stared back, and was quiet for a moment.

"I have no idea either... _master_ Link," she said simply.

I stared deeply into her eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath.

_Has it really come to this between us Zelda? _I thought. _Do you really have that much contempt for me, that you have so little regard for Saria?_

"I've heard it could possibly cause an implosion," I divulged, "I was told it could possibly _kill_ the person it's implanted in."

Both Daphnes and Zelda were silent.

"Who... told you this?" Daphnes asked, detracting the subject.

I looked at him and didn't flinch.

_Who told me this? _I thought. _That's all this bastard has to say to me?_

I was starting to get annoyed.

"The same _assistant_ who told me about the crystals the first time!" I snapped, losing my patience. "Is it true?"

Daphnes looked at me with a muddled indifference, and for some odd reason grinned.

"Anything is possible, I suppose," he replied in cold contempt, "maybe it is true, I really don't know."

I had to catch myself, because my temper was getting the better of me.

_I'm sick of this, _I thought. _I'm sick of the lies. I'm sick of the deceit. I'm sick of the being in the dark. I'm sick of their utter contempt for Saria's life._

"She's nothing but a piece of trash to you, isn't she?" I demanded all of sudden.

Daphnes raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly who I was talking about, but pretended ignorance.

"Who's 'she'?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You know who 'she' is!" I replied, losing my composure. "Her name is Saria! She used to be the Forest Sage, but now she's a Hylian. You kept her from me all these years doing your dirty work as a spy on Zant! That's who!"

Daphnes looked at me angrily just then.

"You better-" he started.

I had had enough.

"I better what?" I interrupted angrily. "I better shut up? Huh? Watch my tone? Show respect for your goddess forsaken throne? To hell with you! And to hell with all your formalities! You owe me an explanation _Daphnes_! I want a reprieve for Saria! And I want it now!"

That was the end of the formalities.

Daphnes immediately jumped from his throne, but Zelda held her hand up to stop him. It was the first time I had ever seen Daphnes put himself in check at the bidding of his daughter. She stared at me with icy blue eyes. This wasn't the princess talking. _This _was the Sage of Time about to address me. The look of authority on her face couldn't be denied.

"We've _already_ had this discussion Link," she said with an eerie calmness. "The king doesn't have the power to reprieve a former sage. _Only _the Sage of Time has that power. As it stands, I will _not_ change my mind about Saria's circumstances. The stakes regarding Hyrule are too great. I'm sorry."

I narrowed my eyes at her in contempt.

"Then, I won't marry you," I muttered angrily.

Zelda looked at me heated.

"Think about _Hyrule _Link!" she snapped, losing her serenity for a moment. "Your love for Saria is incredibly _selfish_ when you consider what we're up against!"

I shook my head and prepared to throw her words back at her.

"Then the blood of Hyrule will be on _your_ hands," I replied, "not mine, your highness."

Zelda looked at me in disbelief, and sat back.

"There _is _no other way Link!" she said to me with a hint of desperation in her voice.

I looked at her in defiance.

"You _better _find one," I warned.

It was then Daphnes took a step down from his throne.

"You insolent bastard!" he growled at me. "You pick an insignificant _whore_ over my daughter?"

It took everything in me not to go over to the king and slam my fist into his jaw.

_Check yourself Link, _I thought.

"That _whore, _as you so disgustingly refer to her as, is my best friend!" I stated. "She's been the only thing that's kept me sane throughout the years of having to deal with you. You better be glad I'm a better class of man Daphnes, because if I weren't, your teeth would be down your _goddamn_ throat!"

Daphnes went down several more steps and scoffed, it was then I noticed his hand on his sword.

_Oh damn, _I thought, averting my eyes back to his face, _it's about to get ugly._

"A better class of man?" he mocked. "You're a sniveling little forest tramp, who defines the divine comedy! The goddesses bestowed you with the Triforce of Courage as a joke to the royal family! Your heritage only puts you in line for the praises of vagrants and deviants! You should be groveling with adulation that you were even considered for the regency!"

I was so sick of the king's boasting and his apparent disgust for my heritage. I was sick of everything.

"You can take the regency and shove it up your ass sire!" I said to Daphnes defiantly. "_Along_ with my sword!"

That did it, Daphnes drew his Estramacon and commenced the_ absence of blade_ stance.

"Your sword huh?" Daphnes replied, coming down the steps until he was at ground level. "It's about time I taught you a lesson in etiquette... boy."

I swallowed hard, not wanting to draw my blade against the king.

_This is not how this is supposed to go, _I thought.

"I don't want to fight you, your majesty," I said.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me and kept his stance.

"I know you don't," he replied, "there are _few _that do."

It seemed he was leaving me no choice. I commenced my battle stance, and studied his posture for a moment.

_Daphnes, and all members of the royal family learn the art of fencing, _I thought.

"You come in here," he started, "with your apparent disrespect and disregard for these halls, and yet expect me to listen to you. Well, you're wrong boy."

Daphnes began circling me, trying to size up my battle stance for a weak spot.

_He's going to concentrate on my right side, _I thought, _he knows my best side is my left side since I'm left handed._

"I only wanted some answers sire," I said, trying to diffuse the situation with words.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me.

"When I'm done with you, you'll be begging me for mercy," he said, ignoring what I had to say.

I narrowed my eyes at him slightly.

_Don't flatter yourself Daphnes, _I thought, _you don't scare me._

I glanced over at Zelda, who was remaining quiet. I had a feeling she wasn't going to say anything to intervene.

_I guess she feels this time I have it coming, _I thought.

Daphnes readied his blade, then came at me with his _Balestra_ attack. He hopped forward in a lunge and tried to strike. I parried quickly with the attack _au Fer_ and moved out of his strike zone.

_That's easy and predictable, _I thought, _it almost seems beneath him._

Daphnes raised an eyebrow when he saw I wasn't going to be some quick kill.

"You really _are_ good," he muttered to himself, hating to admit it.

_That's why I'm first knight, _I thought.

"I've had a little bit of experience," I replied with open sarcasm.

He commenced the attack stance of _change of engagement_, but then shifted into a _guard stance_. Daphnes raised his blade and extended his arm. With the way he was standing, I knew he was going to try to advance me with a passing step strike and try to injure my dominant shoulder.

_That isn't going to work Daphnes, _I thought.

Daphnes stepped into a lunge and came for me again, but instead of the passing strike I was anticipating, he suddenly lowered his blade to my abdomen and tried to strike my belly. I parried his attack and side stepped out of the way, but not before he cut at the cloth of my tunic.

_Touche Daphnes, _I thought, not taking his skill for granted.

"Next time, I won't miss," he threatened, raising his sword again.

_He's_ really_ trying to kill me, _I thought, quickly recommencing my battle stance.

My whole strategy was to defend. I was _not _going to hurt the king of Hyrule. No matter how much of an incomprehensible ass he was.

Daphnes extended his sword again in _drill formation_ and stepped back, focusing on my weak side, my right side. He went into a jump strike, still keeping his arm extended, and aimed for my shoulder. Again, I parried but this time I interlocked his sword into mine and broke it free from his grip. Daphnes looked at me angrily when he saw he was disarmed.

"You insolent retch!" he growled at me.

I kept my sword up in a defensive posture and went to pick up his fallen blade. I tossed him his sword and recommenced my battle stance. Daphnes looked at me surprised, but then his surprise turned to malficence. How could a forest tramp beat the king of Hyrule?

_One more strike and I'm done with this nonsense, _I thought, _there are too many other important things to consider than an old man's inflated ego._

Daphnes recommenced his guard stance, but kept his feet slightly apart. He was going to try and disengage me the same way I just disengaged him, or so I thought.

_Come on Daphnes, _I thought, _I'm ready when you are._

Daphnes finally struck, but then drew back forcing me out of my guard stance into one of offense.

_What the-? _I thought surprised.

He then parried my blade and went for my gut once more.

_This bastard really is trying to kill me! _I thought.

I had to quickly draw in my blade to my body and displace his attack. Afterwards I engaged his blade with mine and swirled them together in a circular motion several times, forcing Daphnes to walk backwards to maintain his center of gravity. He looked confused as to what I was doing. I was staring him straight in his eyes. He stared back with a great anger.

"You think I'm going to fall for this pious trick?" he said to me angrily.

I continued to twirl.

"Yes," I said, "because it works every time."

I continued to twirl the blade until finally I knew Daphnes was down on his guard. I did a quick motion of my sword to his left, his weak side, getting his defense down, and flung the blade from his grip. His sword slid across the marbled floors, until it clanged against the bottom step of the throne ascension. Daphnes had lost. I held my sword out at Daphnes chest as most victors did signifying my win.

"It's over sire," I said to him quietly, looking him straight in the eyes.

Daphnes stared back into mine with contempt.

"So it would seem for now, sir knight," he replied.

Zelda looked down at her father's fallen blade and finally stood up from her throne. She looked from me to her father with a blank expression.

"That's enough of this foolishness father," she said finally, "there are too many-"

Zelda was suddenly cut off by a loud cry from outside.

_What in the world-? _I thought cutting myself short.

I quickly sheathed my blade and hurried out the counsel room door.

"What was that?" I heard Zelda exclaim.

_It can't be good, _I thought, and went to look out the window.

My eyes grew wide in disbelief when I looked up at the sky.

_Oh no, _I thought, _now there's one over Hyrule Castle._

I was talking about a portal. A platoon of guards were quickly racing down the corridor towards me.

"Sir!" the captain said saluting me. "The town's people are all in an up roar! Have you seen that-that _thing _in the sky?"

I nodded, and looked back out the window.

"Yes," I said, "yes, I have."

A moment later, Daphnes came out of the counsel room. Everyone in the hall, including myself, saluted him and bowed.

"What's going on out here?" he muttered, still disgruntled that he lost the fight.

There was no better way for me to explain, but just to point. And when Daphnes saw what I was pointing to his mouth nearly dropped.

"_That,_ your majesty," I replied.

The king's eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"What is _that_?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

_A gift from your long lost uncle, _I thought with sarcasm.

I didn't say anything in front of the guards. I knew they hadn't been briefed on the situation. I decided to give them orders instead.

"Go and see if the citizens are alright," I mandated, "and then establish an ordinance that no one is to go near the area."

The captain saluted me again, but then hesitated.

"Sir... what _is _it?" he asked.

_A portal, _I thought, _a damn portal._

"We're still trying to figure that out," I replied.

_I get better at lying all the time, _I thought, knowing this was an ill advised time to think such a thing, _maybe I will make a good king._

"Yes sir," the captain replied, then turned and marched out the door with his platoon.

Daphnes turned to look at me.

"A portal," he said lowly to himself.

I only nodded.

"Yes sire," I replied, having nothing else to say, "a portal."

Daphnes turned and headed back into the counsel room. I followed after him and closed the door. We had to come up with a solution and put our silly squabbling aside.

"Sire, there are-" I tried.

"If Zant wants to come, let him come," Daphnes interrupted me, and sat back down on his throne, "I'm tired of having to wait for this eventuality anyway. I want it to be over with."

I knew he was being irrational, but when wasn't he? I sighed and went to pick up the king's sword.

"May I approach?" I asked, trying to retain some level of respect.

Daphnes looked at me and scoffed.

"Yes," he muttered embittered.

"If that is your wish, fine," I replied to his initial comment, going up the stairs and handing the king his blade, "can I at least execute the order of evacuating the citizens?"

Daphnes looked away from me for a moment as he took his sword from my grip. I was expecting some duplicity, but should have expected what he was going to say.

"No," he replied.

I narrowed my eyes at him and looked at him angrily. I wished I could say I was shocked, but I wasn't. I remained quiet and headed back down the stairs.

"Sire," I started, knowing what I was going to say was going to be futile, "Zant said he will strike the day of the engagement party. As your closest counselor, I suggest you cancel the party and evacuate Hyrule."

Daphnes looked at me and narrowed his eyes.

"Don't make me laugh first knight," he said to me contemptibly, "I consider you neither a counselor nor a regent, but a persistent retch who has made my life as king more difficult than you can imagine."

I pursed my lips together.

_Trust me, the feeling is more than mutual you petulant bastard, _I thought.

"Fine," I replied, going on anyway, "what is your reply in regards to my suggestions?"

Daphnes looked at me in defiance.

"The party will go on as planned," he replied to me.

I shook my head.

"What?" I asked angrily.

"I didn't stutter," he said to me.

I swallowed hard having to check my temper.

"That is _not_ a good idea sire," I replied. "There will be massive casualties and-"

"Then there will be casualties then!" Daphnes interrupted me in a raised voice. "I will not yield to the threats of a convoluted deviant! Zant will come and he and I will have our final say! I will put an end to this once and for all!"

I looked at Daphnes, wishing he would tarry on the side of reason, but I knew that premise was far reaching.

_His family's arrogance is what got Hyrule into this mess in the first place, _I thought.

"I understand your frustration sire, but having so many citizens around will only make our defenses-" I tried.

"It's the best element of surprise," Daphnes interrupted.

I took a step toward the throne.

_What? _I thought. _How? How when Zant knows the people will be a distraction? _

I got heated at that.

"Sire, this is madness!" I said upset.

Even Zelda saw the foolishness of her father's notions.

"Father," she said, "you can_not _be serious. We _have _to evacuate the citizens. If we don't, we run the risk-"

Daphnes slammed his fist on his armrest.

"Silence!" he hushed her in warning. "You may be the sage, but don't you _ever _forget who is king and your father!"

Zelda looked at him astonished.

"When you edge on the side of insanity-" she tried.

"I said silence!" he yelled.

Zelda edged back in disbelief at her father's tone. It was the first time I had seen him lose his composure with his daughter.

_He really has lost his mind, _I thought, _the princess can't even reason with him._

The king turned his attention back to me.

"You may go, sir knight!" he ordered in a loud sonorous voice. "Get out!"

I took several steps back, and stayed silent. I didn't leave.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me again.

"I said, you may _go _sir knight!" he said again, his voice had a hint of warning to it.

I took in a deep frustrated breath and bowed, I then turned and left the counsel room.

_There's only one thing left for me to do, _I thought, walking down the hall, _prepare for battle. _

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 22 is coming soon!<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

**Inspirations: FFVIII & FFX, "Training Day", The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Donkey Kong, Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey, Fabio (the model).**

**Major Shout Out: To the regular readers: thank you all for reading, this is the beginning of the end.**

**Author Note: If none of the inspiration makes any sense now it will later. This is the first of the last three chapters. Only two more to go! ADDENDUM 4/17/2013 I apologize for the long delay, but I have some crazy I news! I got married April 12, 2013, so that is why I wasn't able to update until now. Thank you all for reading. ~ZR~.**

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><p>The Engagement Party: Part 1<p>

Chapter 22

The next six days passed in relative peace. I stayed with Saria and the old man in the meantime, and decided to help them pack and head to Kakiriko Village. Since the presence of the portal over Lake Hylia, it was considerably more dangerous for the both of them to be living at the laboratory alone. The old man's condition was still cautionary, but at least he was stable. He had to wear a neck brace until his recovery was complete. The wound he sustained went through several layers of subcutaneous flesh, and as such, he was fortunate to be alive.

_That blue chu jelly is really something, _I thought.

The last thing I wanted, or needed, was to hear that anything had happened to either one of them.

There was enough for me to worry about.

_How is this going to go down? _I wondered. _Why couldn't Daphnes and I at least try to vie on the side of reason?_

It was no matter of real concern, I knew the meeting with Daphnes would have its eventual outcome. However, I couldn't lie, I was hoping for some civility. Zant was on the move, and planning a decisive strike against the kingdom. There was an immediate need on all fronts for cooperation to defeat him. As it stood however, the only thing the king and I could agree on was that we would adamantly disliked each other.

_That's a start, _I thought sarcastically.

Even still, I needed a plan to counter the upcoming insurgence. The only thing that seemed doable was making sure there was a heavy military presence during the party tomorrow. I already briefed all factions of the army on Twili logistics and counterattacks. Many of the men were openly confused with what I was talking about. Most of them not even knowing what a 'Twili' was. After the briefing, some of the men inquired of my health and thought I was going mad. I couldn't I say I blamed them, there was a little madness behind what was about to take place.

_Let's hope there's some real foreseeable outcome through all this, _I thought.

In all honesty, hope was the only thing I had to bank on regarding this situation. Hope and my sword, and there was only so far my sword could reach. My biggest dilemma was how I was going to protect the civilians. I knew Zant was banking on using them as a distraction. If all of Hyrule showed up, that would be well over a hundred thousand people in attendance. I paused and thought about that.

_A hundred thousand people... _I let my mind trail, _that's going to be a bloodbath._

Even if all one hundred thousand didn't show up, there would still be a considerable number of casualties. I sighed while pondering over all this.

_If Daphnes would just cancel the party..._ I thought, but I had to let my reasoning go.

There was no reasoning with a dictator.

I didn't understand how he thought the party would be an element of surprise when Zant already knew of its inception. It was more like an element of stupidity.

_I'll never understand that man, _I thought.

Even still, I had to make do with what I was given. I made sure to memorize the itinerary for the party. I wanted there to be no surprises in relation to the festivities. In fact, I planned my whole line of strike based off the party schematics. It was all I could do to stay on top of everything. I really had no other alternatives.

_It was either that, or the _true _element of surprise, _I thought.

At ten hundred the party would begin. At the same time the ground troops would get into position and station themselves at their posts. Fifteen minutes later, the guests would give their greetings and thanks to Zelda and I. During that small window, the captains and generals would give the signal to stand guard, but be on full alert. At noon the Gerudo dancers would take to the floor, providing an exotic alternative to the usual orchestral entertainment. In the mean time, the soldiers would continue their watch and only disengage the stance of ease if there was any untoward activity on the horizon. At twelve forty-five the Eldin Circus would take to the floor for jokes and theatrics. This time was vital, as this left a brief window of delay in protection. When the troupe came in, there would be a lag in rotations. I would keep my senses heightened, because Zant may have chosen to attack during that small period. At thirteen hundred forty-five the meal would be served, and the cavalry would be on standby. At fifteen forty-five the guests would present their gifts. At the same time, dispatches would be sent to all areas where portals had actuated. At seventeen hundred, the guests were to begin clearing the banquet hall, and hopefully Zant wouldn't be a threat any longer.

_This ends tomorrow, _I thought, _one way or another._

In the present, I was loading a wooden crate onto the back of Saria's wagon. The laboratory was nearly cleared out, when she noticed the subdued expression on my face.

"What's the matter?" she asked me, pausing for a moment before she handed me anything else.

I shook my head and ran a hand through my blonde hair.

"Nothing," I replied.

Saria frowned at me, knowing that wasn't true.

"When you sound like that, you're begging for someone to ask you something otherwise," she said to me, putting her hands on her hips. "Come on, out with it. I know something is wrong."

I paused for a moment, then gestured for her to hand me the next item.

_I don't want to make more of this than what it already is, _I thought.

"When you get to Kakiriko Village, just stay put," I said, loading a large urn onto the wagon. "I don't want you or the old man leaving for anything unnecessarily."

Saria nodded, then handed me another jug to load onto the wagon.

"I know what you mean," she replied, "I'm just grateful gramps has the extra room to let us stay."

I noticed she completely glossed over what I said. I gave her an offhanded look.

"Saria," I said, "did you hear what I said?"

She looked away for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.

"Yes," she replied, "I heard you."

Her tone was a little short. In all honesty, I didn't care that she was upset, her life meant a lot more to me than anything else.

"I mean it Saria," I said with a stern undertone, "I don't want you or the doctor leaving."

She avoided my eyes and jumped down off the wagon.

"I'll make sure the doctor stays put," she said to me, then turned in a hurry to go back into the laboratory.

However, before Saria went off, I took hold of her hand.

"What?" I asked her knowingly.

_She thinks she's sly wording it the way she did, _I thought.

Saria looked at me slightly upset.

"I'm going to make sure the doctor is safe," she repeated.

I gave her another funny look.

_I knew she was thinking of doing something she shouldn't, _I thought.

"I'm talking about the both of you," I said to her.

Saria bit her lower lip and shook her head.

"I'm not promising you that," she said to me defiantly.

I looked at her, feeling a slight annoyance with her stubbornness.

"Saria-" I started.

"You might need my help," she interrupted, "you may be the Hero of Time, but I still could be of some use to you."

I took in a deep breath, jumped down from the wagon, and unwrapped the course fibers I had around my hands to protect me from splinters.

"I thought we discussed this already," I stated.

Saria looked away from me, but I turned her face back to mine.

_Come on Sar... _I thought.

"_We _didn't discuss anything," she said to me upset, "_you _told me you didn't want me there."

I hated the fact she was putting it that way.

"But can't you understand why?" I asked, trying to be reasonable. "It's going to be dangerous."

Saria looked away from me again, and took in a frustrated breath.

"I won't get in your way," she said, still trying to fight me.

I turned her face back to mine once more.

"Saria..." I trailed, not needing to finish.

She rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure there's no _other _reason you don't want me there?" she asked suddenly. "You seem adamant about not wanting to see me."

I gave her at offhanded stare.

_What is she getting at? _I wondered.

"I don't follow you," I said, "what do you mean?"

Saria swallowed hard and still avoided my eyes.

"Are you sure it isn't because you don't want me to see how much you're going to flirt with your _future _wife?" she demanded.

I looked at her mildly stunned. I was surprised at this unnecessary jealous spiel. She knew as well as I that I had to play a role. There was no getting around that. Zant was going to attack at the engagement party. I knew Saria was only saying that because she was angry. Even still, she knew that a comment like that would get under my skin, especially considering she knew how much I loved her.

_I'm not going to let that fly, _I thought.

"That isn't funny," I replied.

She finally looked into my eyes.

"It wasn't meant to be funny," she said. "You think I'm going to be comfortable with the whole kingdom there to congratulate you on your _upcoming _marriage to the princess? Think Link. How do you think that makes me feel?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"You know I want you as my wife," I said, "and once this is all over, _we _are going to get married. Stop being so defiant because you want to argue."

She shook her head.

"Do you think it's going to be easy to leave her when _everyone _thinks you're going to be their king after today?" she went on. "You _are__n't _going to be able to just leave her after everything is said and done. I _know _you too well. You have too much honor for that."

I didn't know what it was, but something in her words struck a deep chord within me. I wasn't going to admit it, but she had a ring of truth there. I would never allow Hyrule to suffer due to my selfishness. I was a man of duty and sacrifice. My entire life was built on such service. However, I also wasn't going to stand there and let my best friend think the worst of the situation. There was still hope.

_We can still have a future, _I thought.

"Saria you're going to be my wife," I reassured, "stop worrying."

She took in an irritated breath.

"Link-" she tried.

I had heard enough.

"Drop it!" I snapped, raising my voice slightly. "I don't want to hear anything that ridiculous come out of your mouth again, do you understand me?"

Saria looked at me surprised. She knew I was dead serious. She raised her eyebrows and took a step back. We were silent for a few minutes. I knew the stress of everything was starting to get to us. There was so much pressure from all sides, and the kingdom being threatened only added to the magnitude of the situation.

"Okay," she muttered finally, "fine, whatever."

I sighed at her reply, knowing she didn't see things completely the same way as I did, and tried to hug her. However, she pushed herself back from me.

"You may be able to give me orders, but you can't touch me at your beck and whim! I am not a whore!" she said with a nasty undertone.

I looked at her surprised, but didn't reply. I knew she only said that because she was upset.

_She knows I wasn't doing that for anything other than what it was, _I thought, _she knows I don't think she's a whore._

"Saria-" I started.

"I've got to go get the rest of my things," she interrupted, and walked away from me.

I looked after her and sighed. She brushed past the old man briskly as she went into the house. The scientist looked at her confused, then turned to me.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked me.

I shook my head.

"Nothing a good night's rest won't handle," I replied.

The old man raised his eyebrows.

"Sounds like a lover's quarrel," he said to me.

I grunted softly.

_More like a warriors quarrel, _I thought, _I didn't realize Saria could be so headstrong. _

"How are you feeling?" I asked, changing the subject.

He sighed and tried to come down the stairs on his own. I immediately stopped what I was doing and went to help him. His gait was still unsteady, and I didn't want him falling.

"Thank you," he replied. "I'm about as good as I can get to answer your initial question. I think I can take this brace off in a day or two."

I only nodded. To say I was relieved he was going to make a full recovery was an understatement. The doctor had been a constant help, and was an innocent bystander in this mess. I would have hated for anything detrimental to happen to him.

_I'm glad he's going to be okay, _I thought.

"Good," I said, jumping back onto the wagon bed to make more room, "and with more amenities in Kakariko Village you have better access to care right there."

The old man tried to nod.

"True," he replied, "but I am taking my ingredients with me for my potions just in case. The old woman at the potion shop might be stingy."

I smirked, almost forgetting he had a relationship with her.

_That's true, _I thought, _it did take a long time to get her to sell blue potions. She has a strange affinity for rotting mushrooms._

"Right, better to be safe than sorry," I replied.

The old man chuckled a hoarse chuckle.

"By the way the analysis on the crystal is complete," he divulged, changing the subject, "and those portals will be fully functional tomorrow."

I felt my grin fade as the seriousness of the situation precluded my thoughts once more.

_That means... _I didn't finish my thoughts.

"Did you tell Saria about your findings yet?" I asked, detracting a little.

The old man sighed and tried to shake his head no.

"I didn't want to frighten her with a potential problem," he said to me honestly, "it is still theoretical."

I merely nodded, understanding his conjecture all too well.

"It seems like the best course of action right now," I replied.

_Why make her worry about something we are not absolutely certain about? _I thought.

The old man sighed again.

"I hope so," he said more to himself than to me.

I paused at his tone.

_He's just as worried as I am, _I thought, _but who wouldn't be?_

"I hope so too," I replied, and tried to grin again, but then turned back around to see what was taking Saria so long with those other things. "I'll be right back."

I jumped down from the wagon and hurried up the porch steps to enter the laboratory. I didn't see Saria anywhere downstairs in the living room or the kitchen. So, I went upstairs and checked the hall. She wasn't there either.

_Why is she doing this now? _I wondered, slightly upset. _We have to go._

I finally went up to her room door and knocked. Out of nowhere, there was a sudden loud bang and a tumbling of materials of sorts that succeeded after it. At hearing that, I immediately opened the door. I looked around the room concerned for her safety.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Saria's was looking at me with wide frightened eyes that then narrowed in anger.

"Why the hell did you open my door?" she snapped, she was holding a towel around her neck. "What if I were naked Link?"

I gave her an offhanded stare and was taken aback slightly. I wasn't expecting this reaction. I didn't understand her anger.

_We're moving, _I thought of her odd logic, _why would you be naked?_

I was surprised at her rude tone.

"I was worried you may have hurt yourself," I said to her calmly, giving her a suspicious look.

She swallowed hard.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, "now could you please get out?"

I gave her a full once over with open distrust and didn't budge.

"No," I replied, "what are you doing in here?"

Saria took a step back, and nearly fell over a stack of books. I tried to help her, but she wouldn't have it.

"I'm fine," she snapped, holding on tightly to the towel, "I want you to leave!"

Whatever she was hiding had to do with her neck. I took a step towards her. She took a step back.

_What... is she doing? _I wondered, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Remove the towel Saria," I ordered all of a sudden.

She stiffened when I said that.

"No," she said in defiance.

I took another step towards her.

"Remove it," I said more firmly, showing her I was not playing with her.

Saria held onto to it tighter.

"No," she replied again.

I took in a deep breath, and clicked my tongue irritably off the side of my teeth.

"Okay," I replied, coming towards her, "I'll remove it myself."

Saria put her hands put defensively and panicked.

"No Link!" she begged, but I gripped the towel and pulled it away anyway.

I looked at her startled when I saw the gaping wound at the base of her neck.

_What the hell? _I thought, but then I saw the knife she was trying to conceal.

I grabbed her wrist and pulled the knife from her grip.

"What the hell were you doing in here?" I demanded, thinking I already had an idea.

Saria looked away from me, then undid her other fist to reveal a diamond shaped twilight crystal. I took the crystal from her grip and held it up in front of her face accusingly.

"You were going to put this damn thing back inside you, weren't you?" I demanded.

Saria nodded, but didn't answer right away.

"I wanted to help you," she said finally.

I looked away from her having to check my temper and closed my eyes and took in another deep breath. Saria kept her eyes averted to the ground; she looked so innocent just then.

_"This crystal gives me extraordinary abilities..." _her voice echoed through my memory.

_She was going to put this dangerous thing back in her to try to give her an edge to fight, _I thought, _I won't allow her to do that._

I sighed and took her in my arms and hugged her tight.

"If you want to help me," I whispered into her ear, "you'll stay in Kakariko and look after the old man."

After a few minutes went by, Saria finally hugged me back and buried her head in my shoulder. She trembled a little bit as if she were crying.

"Okay," she finally said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry, you win. I won't help you."

I pulled her back to look into her eyes.

"You keep saying that as if the only way to help me is if you put your life in danger," I replied. "Staying safe and looking after the doctor is a great help to me Saria. I would worry more if you didn't."

Saria didn't have a reply to that.

"Don't play with your life like this," I said to her seriously, "you're not expendable... you're going to be my wife one day."

She avoided my eyes and blushed. I turned my attention back to her wound and put the towel back over it.

"Sew that up," I said, "I'll meet you downstairs."

I made sure I had the crystal in my possession before I left the room. Saria sighed, then wiped her eyes. I left her room, went back downstairs, and gathered a few more things to put on the wagon. Afterwards, I joined the old man in the front of the wagon. A few minutes later, Saria came out the front door carrying a basket of clothes with a bandage at the nape of her neck.

The old man looked at her puzzled.

"What happened there my dear?" he asked her.

Saria sighed, then grinned at him.

"Something that I shouldn't have been doing," she said honestly, then hoisted herself up the back of the wagon.

The old man still looked confused and shook his head.

"Okay," was all he replied, realizing he would never understand the current generation of young people.

I smiled, and turned around to look at Saria.

"Is the door locked?" I asked her.

She nodded.

Afterwards, I giddied the horses. It was near evening when we finally arrived at Kakariko Village. We decided to leave later in the evening so we wouldn't have as many rubberneckers gawking when we arrived. I knew some of the villagers still had sour feelings towards Saria. The bazaar owner was already asleep, so we chose not to disturb him. I helped Saria and the scientist unpack and settle into their modest old slash new residence. It was past midnight when everything was cleared and put away. Saria tucked the doctor into bed, then came and sat with me at the table to have a cup of tea. Saria poured the ginger tea in both cups before she sat down.

"Today's the big day," she said, looking out the window at the predawn black sky.

"Yeah," I sighed worried, "today's the day."

Saria looked over at me and grinned.

"You'll do fine," she said to me confidently, "one thing about you Link is that you are incredibly resilient."

I tried to smile back at her.

"I hope so," I said.

She reached over and squeezed my hand.

"You will," she said to me quietly, "You have a..." she stopped herself for some odd reason.

She trailed and I raised my eyebrows for her to continue.

"A what?" I asked.

Saria sat back and grinned at herself for some offhanded reason, then shook her head.

"Nothing," she replied.

I looked at her puzzled.

_Wait a minute... _I thought.

"Tell me Sar," I said to her.

Saria shook her head.

"It's not important," she said, "if it were, I promise I would have told you."

I looked at her for a moment. I didn't like she was keeping things from me, especially after that stunt she pulled upstairs in her bedroom, but I decided to let it go. She sat with me, looking like she was in some deep contemplation, before she got up from the table and headed for the staircase.

"Goodnight," she said to me softly, taking her teacup upstairs with her, "I'm tired, you should get to bed as well... hero."

I was surprised she was retiring so soon.

"You don't want to talk for a little bit?" I asked her. "Or... anything _else _perhaps?"

Saria looked at me mildly stunned at my outright invitation. She blushed, paused at the staircase, and tapped her fingers on the guard rail.

"No... we better not," she said quietly, "you need your rest, but thank you anyway."

After saying that, Saria continued upstairs to her room. I stared after her and took in a deep breath. I wanted to comfort her, knowing she was skeptical about how everything was going to turn out.

"Goodnight," I said.

I then got up from the table myself and went to lay down on the couch. I stared at the ceiling for what seemed like forever.

_It all goes down today, _I thought, then induced myself to sleep.

~SSS~

I woke up at dawn and dressed in my white tunic and silver cloak. I left the house without disturbing either Saria or the old man. I headed for the castle and arrived at Castle Town a little before the seventh hour. Even with the early onset of the day, there were hundreds of people already lined up outside the gate to head into the castle. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was, and once everyone saw me approach they instantly began greeting me.

"Good morning Sir Link," a young man said to me, "congratulations!"

"Yes good sir!" another man said spiritedly. "Congratulations!"

A few young maidens bowed as I walked by. I nodded in return. I paused when a little boy asked me if I could sign his wooden sword.

"I know that seems strange," he said, speaking like he was conjuring a million words a second, "but I told my brother I would get my sword signed by you so he could do my chores for a week."

I chuckled at his incredible dialogue speed, and everyone laughed at the boy's honesty. I simply shrugged and gave the young man his menial request, I signed his sword.

"You're going to grow up and be a great swordsman someday, right?" I said to him enthusiastically.

The little boy's eyes widened.

"I want to be just like you Sir Link!" the little boy replied. "A hero and everything!"

I smiled at his innocence and caught sight of a little girl hiding behind her mother's skirt in my periphery. I glanced over at her and she hid her face again. When she looked at me once more I grinned at her, and gestured for her to come to me. The little girl looked up at her mother before she came over to me, her mother nodded at her, signaling it was okay, and the little girl slowly walked towards me.

_She's really going to be captivating when she grows up, _I thought.

The young girl could've been Zelda's little sister, her resemblance to the princess was uncanny, with her with her strawberry hair and striking blue eyes. She came up to me from the line and handed me a flower.

"Congratulations sir," she said quietly in a little voice.

I smiled at the child's small gift, then kneeled down to look in the little girl's face.

"When you come of age young maiden, you make sure you get a man worthy of you," I said to her, "someone much better than me."

The little girl's eyes widened and she blushed when I said that.

"There are hero's better than you Sir Link?" she asked me incredulously.

The immediate crowd surrounding us laughed. Her mother quickly came to gather her daughter.

"I'm sorry sir," her mother apologized to me, "she just admires you so much."

I stood up and looked at the young mother, she appeared to be my age.

"It's quite alright," I replied, smiling at her.

The mother had the same reaction as her daughter, she blushed. To soften the milieu, I took her hand in mine and kissed it gently. The woman's eyes grew wide and she nearly fainted.

"S-sir Link!" she said shocked, not knowing what else to say.

"Thank you for honoring Hyrule with your beauty," I said.

The crowd of citizens immediately cheered and applauded. Some of the women looked at the young maiden and her daughter with outright contempt. I then bowed at the two maidens, and made my way back down the road.

"What if the princess finds out sir?" one of the older men called from the crowd jokingly. "They'll be absolute mayhem!"

I stopped and smirked at him.

"We'll keep it our little secret then," I joked, and looked back at the woman, "won't we?"

The young woman blushed again.

"O-of course Sir Link!" she replied.

The crowd broke out in laughter.

The praise and adulation didn't stop as I made my way to, and through, the castle gate. I smiled at everyone, and nodded graciously at their thanksgivings and well wishings. When I left the crowd behind me and headed towards the castle I felt an uneasy sense of dread overcome me.

_How many of those people are going to die today? _I thought all of a sudden, then looked up at the floating fractal in the sky. _Daphnes you are such a damn fool._

Before heading to the banquet hall, I went to the military operations room, the Situation Room, and spoke to the captain of the guard.

"Good morning sir," the captain said to me on full on alert.

"Good morning," I replied, saluting him, "at ease soldier."

The captain relaxed his stance and put his hands behind his back.

"I need for you to have the full army on standby today," I ordered, not beating around the bush. "They must be fully ready to fight, fully equipped and everything. There's no telling what will happen today. Remember the itinerary we went over the last few days. Don't deviate from that for a second, do you understand?"

The captain nodded, but held a flummoxed expression on his face.

"I do indeed," he said, but then asked, "are we expecting an attack sir? With the way you've been preparing us, you'd think Ganondorf himself were returning."

I paused for a moment to answer him honestly.

_This individual is no Ganondorf, _I thought, _but he definitely has the vices of a psychotic menace._

"Yes, we are expecting an attack," I replied, "but this mustn't get out to the public. For whatever reason his majesty believes the citizens will be more of a diversion if they are not in the know. If the citizens find out we'll have mayhem on our hands."

The captain gave me a queer stare.

"You mean... they're being used as bait?" he asked.

_I wish I could say no to that, _I thought, _but given Daphnes' apt stupidity in this regard, I can't help but think the same thing. _

"No," I said, not sharing my thoughts with him, "the king would never intentionally do that."

I didn't want my cynicism for his majesty to spread throughout the army. It was one thing for me to feel what I felt. It was completely another if the entire military felt what I felt. Even still, the guard didn't look reassured.

"I see," was all he had to say.

I needed him to stay focused. It was very important that he knew all the cues in relation to the timeline. In a minute decision, I decided to go over them with him once more.

_This needs to be spot on, _I thought, _there can be no hiccups. _

"When I was walking up I saw the men on standby," I said, "and I commend you for making it look for like a security measure as a opposed to full on readying for an insurgence."

"Thank you sir," he replied.

I nodded and went on.

"Now," I continued, "what's happening at ten hundred?"

The looked at me seriously just then.

"The troops will take their posts," he said.

I nodded.

"What's happening at ten fifteen?" I asked.

"The military will be on full alert," he stated.

"At twelve hundred?" I inquired.

"Watch for erroneous activity," he replied.

"At thirteen forty-five?" I went on.

"Cavalry will be on standby," the captain said.

I nodded again.

"And at seventeen hundred?" I asked.

"The threat should be averted," he said.

I was pleased he was on point, that was vital to this operation having any success.

The captain nodded himself, but then gave me a look of inquiry.

"Sir, if this threat is so untoward," he began, "why not postpone today's activities? Why have the party at all?"

I looked at the captain, wishing I had a lucid answer for him, but I didn't.

"I agree with your assessment soldier," I said, "unfortunately, not everyone sees things the way you and I do."

The captain tried to hide his surprise, but couldn't.

_I know just how you feel, _I thought, but couldn't let that emotion become the standard of practice.

"Even still," I said, moving the conversation along, "we have our duty, and we will do whatever it takes to protect the citizens. Remember the evacuation drill we've been practicing for the past two years. We may utilize that today, so be ready. I will signal it in our usual fashion, understand?"

The soldier sighed.

"Yes sir," the captain replied.

I nodded.

"Go," I said to him, saluting him once more.

The captain then went to execute my orders.

I closed my eyes and sighed when he left, then headed back to the castle.

_We'll have to wait and see what Zant has up his sleeve, _I thought, _I don't like being only on the defensive._

I headed back through the main corridor and directed myself to the banquet hall. I stopped short of entering and raised my eyebrows to how beautiful the room looked.

_Wow, _I thought, _this certainly is beautiful._

The room was decorated to perfection. White tapestries hung from banisters. Chandeliers hung high with soft candle light, and marble urns, overflowing with white tulips, accentuated the four corners of the room. There were three thrones placed at the center of the room near the northern most wall. That way the southern entrance doors, opening from the gardens where the guests would come in, would lead to a plush red velvet carpet directing the guests to Zelda, Daphnes, and myself. The red carpet was littered with white rose petals, and embroidered with the crest of the royal family.

I took a whiff of the air and smelled the beginnings of what promised to be an excellent luncheon.

_Is that satay I smell? _I wondered.

The meal was going to be humble but opulent: roasted pheasants, sweet potato and cherry chutney, and roasted assorted vegetables. In addition, there were going to be _three_ three tiered cakes that could garner three thousand slices each.

_Zelda prepared this engagement party like it was our actual wedding, _I thought, shaking my head at the grandeur.

I continued to look around at the spectacle when a moment later, I heard a gong dispel the sound barrier. I turned and saw Daphnes enter the room. I took in a deep breath at the sight of the king.

_Let's make this as pleasant as possible, _I thought, _I have to fight and be civil today._

I bowed mechanically, but couldn't lie, I was slightly disgusted by the sight of him. I didn't understand why he was willing to put so many people's lives in danger when he knew what was expected to happen that day.

_What else is new? _I wondered.

Daphnes paused when he saw me, then advanced slowly.

"Good morning Sir Link," he said to me routinely.

"Good morning sire," I replied, not really wanting to speak with him, but I knew I had no choice, he was the king.

There was a brief silence before I broke it.

"I alerted the guard," I said matter-of-fact, "they are on notice about Zant's attack. All preparations have been made based on the timeline."

Daphnes merely nodded.

I looked at him and raised my eyebrows.

_Is he having a change of heart? _I wondered.

"If... you want to call this party off and just focus on the military engagement that's completely understandable," I said, hoping Daphnes would choose the side of reason.

Daphnes looked at me and smirked snidely. It was such a strange gesture.

"You already know that isn't going to happen," he replied.

I looked away and let out a frustrated groan.

_The true mark or a sociopath, _I thought, _someone who has little to no empathy for anyone else._ _Why did I even bother? _

I decided to leave the king to his own misgivings and watch for the standard order of defense. There was no way I was going to enjoy myself anyway. A moment later, Zelda entered the room looking stunning in a dark pink gown that complimented her fair skin tone. Her blonde hair was up in a crystal crown with two locks flowing free at the sides of her lovely face. I raised my eyebrows at the sight of her.

_She really is one of the most beautiful women in this country, _I thought, not denying Zelda her due.

Zelda looked at me hopefully when she saw me staring at her.

"Good morning Sir Link," she said to me quietly.

I bowed respectfully as she approached.

"Good morning your highness," I replied.

Zelda took in a deep breath and smiled at me.

"Wonderful day for a party, don't you think?" she asked me.

I didn't hide the disregard in my face.

_She must be joking, _I thought.

"If it were under any other circumstance I would wholeheartedly agree with you," I said to her honestly.

She raised her eyebrows perceptively and smiled warmly at me.

"Would you mind coming with me for a moment?" she asked me all of a sudden.

I looked at her with uncertainty.

"Why?" I asked.

She clasped her hands in front of her dress civilly.

"I need to give you something," she said with a vague encryption.

My eyes widened slightly, and I simply nodded. I wasn't going to lie, I was slightly intrigued, and there were still several hours to kill.

_Maybe she has something of some use, _I thought.

Zelda then took my hand and led me to a corridor leading to the artillery room. She closed the door behind us, making sure we were alone. Afterwards, she went over to a table and pulled up a satin cloth to reveal a crystal sword embedded with the symbol of the Triforce. Zelda picked up the sword and turned and presented it to me.

"This is the sword you have to use to defeat Zant," she said to me quietly. "It is fused with the power of the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom."

I looked at her surprised and nodded. I had no idea she was having a weapon like this made. I took the sword and put it in my sheath. Zelda stood back and admired me for a moment.

"You really do look dashing sir knight," she said to me sweetly and smiled.

Maybe it was her tone, because I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you princess," I replied.

Zelda stared into my eyes and immediately had to look away when she became overcome with emotion. I looked to the ground when I saw the tears fill her eyes. I hated to see her cry.

"I know this may mean nothing to you Link," she began, blinking back her tears, "but I'm still in love with you."

I took in a deep breath after hearing her say that. I was torn with my situation with Zelda quite honestly, and in many ways I was just as responsible for what happened between us as she was. I didn't have to ask her to marry me. I didn't have to lead her on for eight years. I didn't have to feel obligated because it was expected of me, but I did. So rightly, Zelda did have entitlements to her feelings.

_It's not something she can just cast aside, _I thought.

"I know princess," was all I could reply.

The situation was honestly too complicated right now for me to think about.

_I need to focus on Zant, and stabilizing the defenses, _I thought, _matters of the heart can wait._

Zelda took in a deep breath and smiled again.

"Shall we go in?" she asked me.

"Of course," I replied, presenting her my arm.

Zelda took it graciously, then we headed back to the banquet hall. I initially thought she wanted to go arm in arm to do a mock run through of how she wanted us to enter, but I was stunned to see people already gathering in the banquet hall when we arrived.

_What's going on? _I thought.

I glanced over at Zelda slightly confused.

"Zelda?" I whispered perplexed.

The princess didn't answer.

_It's starting already?_ I thought surprised, looking back out at the crowd. _I thought we had a few more hours. I needed those extra three hours!_

"Presenting her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda Alexandros Nohansen, and the First Knight of Hyrule Sir Link," a master of ceremonies announced as we stopped at the entrance of the north gate.

To say I was surprised was an understatement. I was downright blindsided by this turn in events. Even still, the crowd broke out into a thunderous applause. I forced a smile across my face.

_I wasn't expecting any of this, _I thought, feeling anxiety creep into my bones. The last thing I needed, or wanted, was any unnecessary surprises going on throughout the day. _I thought I was filled in on everything. What the hell is going on?_

"When was the introduction put in the itinerary?" I leaned over and whispered into Zelda ear.

She glanced over at me and smiled.

"The master of ceremonies and I decided on it last night," she whispered back to me.

I looked at her surprised.

"When did you decide to start the party two and a half hours early?" I asked, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice.

Zelda forced a smile and waved to the crowd.

"We needed an element of surprise," she replied, trying to keep up her appearance of refinement, "father and I made the decision last night."

_Great, _I thought, having to keep my temper in check.

I swallowed hard and smiled back at the crowd.

"Why didn't you inform me of the changes?" I asked, through my clenched smile. "Why did the _citizens _know, but I didn't?"

Zelda continued to look at the crowd.

"I sent out late invitations last night," she replied.

_This is just great! _I thought annoyed. _My whole military strategy was going to go based on that goddamn timeline! Now I have to improvise._

I didn't let it show, but I was pissed. I needed to find the captain of the guard and I needed to find him in a hurry. Everything had been thrown by this. The only slight advantage we may have gained was throwing Zant off his timeline. I scanned the crowd looking for him, but saw that he wasn't in my line of sight.

_What else was changed? _I wondered. _Damn it!_

"Are there any other surprises I need to know about?" I asked, trying to stay civil.

Zelda smiled and waved at the crowd again.

"No," she said quietly, "at least not right now."

_Great, _I thought with sarcasm.

We then descended down the steps and stationed ourselves at the thrones. I was to the left, Daphnes was to be seated on the right, but was absent, and Zelda was in the center.

_Where's Daphnes? _I thought searching the crowd, then finally spotted him talking to the captain.

I took in a semi-relieved breath.

_At least he's making himself useful, _I thought, _I wonder what he's saying to him._

The party then got underway with greetings from the citizens. There were at least two thousand people in attendance. It was much less than I initially thought, which I was grateful for. Two thousand people to protect was much easier than one hundred thousand. Even still, two thousand greetings was going to be taxing to say the least.

_Two thousand greetings, _I thought miserably, but forced a smile, _two... thousand... greetings._

The first to approach was an older married couple of obvious wealth and privilege. They both bowed.

"Congratulations Princess Zelda and Sir Link," the woman said, "you two will be the most attractive couple in the entire kingdom."

Zelda nodded and smiled.

"Thank you madam," she replied to the woman.

"Sir Link," the older gentleman started, "I bet every man in here would love to switch places with you."

_I wish one of them would, _I thought honestly.

I forced a grin.

"I would be all too eager good sir," I replied.

The older gentleman looked at me strangely with regard to my curt undertone, but soon thought nothing of it and bowed. Both he and his wife then departed. The next to approach and give a greeting was the little boy I met earlier and his older brother. They both bowed then approached.

"Congratulations sir and madam," the little boy said enthusiastically, but then turned to me. "Could you please tell my brother Sir Link that you signed my sword and he has to do my chores for the next week?"

Zelda looked at both the young men surprised at their uncouth manner.

I merely smiled.

"I'm afraid it's true," I told the older boy. "I signed it for him this morning."

"Really?" the older one said. "Oh great, this sucks!"

I chuckled at the two boys antics, but some in the crowd were openly showing their disregard for the boy's apparent indiscretion in the use of their language. I saw no problem with it.

_Come on people, they're children, _I thought incredulously.

Zelda took in a deep breath, then nodded towards one of her attendants. Soon, a guard came and ushered the two boys away. I looked over at Zelda surprised, finding the gesture incredibly rude.

_What the hell was that all about? _I demanded in my head.

"I can't believe you just did that," I said to her quietly, forcing a smile so no one got suspicious, "they're children Zelda."

Zelda turned to look at me.

"Believe it," she said quietly. "They're children apparently raised in a harem. We have many more guests to get through, and can't spare the time for nonsense. Besides, those children had a serious lack of manners."

I turned my face from her to check my tongue.

_As do you, _I thought, sitting back on my throne, getting more and more uncomfortable with this situation as time progressed, _this is ridiculous._

The next person to approach was the lovely milkmaid from Lon Lon Ranch, my old friend Malon Lon. She bowed respectfully, then came forward. She was with her beau Stephen. I smirked at the sight of the two of them, wishing I had some more free time to give them the proper visit they deserved. I knew Malon was getting married soon, and wouldn't be allotted such free time. In any such case, I was glad to see a familiar friendly face, and it was nice to see some commonality in amongst a sea of stiff aristocracy.

_These are my kind of people, _I thought.

"I wish you all the best," she said sweetly to Zelda and myself.

Zelda smiled at her.

_You know, _I thought, _I really need to thank Malon for teaching Saria how to domesticate her horse with her song._

"Thank you," Zelda replied softly.

"You two make a stunning couple," Stephen complimented.

I leaned forward and rested myself casually on the armrest of my chair. I saw Zelda's eye widen, and she looked like she was going to have a heart attack.

"How is everything at the ranch?" I asked Malon, wanting to make conversation.

Malon's bit her lower lip, and Zelda turned crimson.

_What's the big deal? _I wondered.

"Darling," Zelda said to me gently, "_we_ don't ask questions during greetings. It's the custom of the people to wish us well not the other way around."

_Is she serious? _I wondered in slight disbelief. _Are we supposed to be like statues just sitting here or something? _

I looked at Zelda surprised, then turned back to Malon whose face was beet red.

"We don't ask questions at greetings?" I repeated to Zelda, trying to make light of it. "Well, what do we do my dear? Just sit here and look pretty?"

I fashioned the question as a joke, which did garner some laughs, but I could see in the faces of Zelda, and then looking over at Daphnes in the distance that they were not happy with my behavior. I was to the point that their discretions were no longer a concern of mine. Hell, Daphnes was willing to sacrifice most of these people anyway.

_Who cares? _I thought, tired of the stiff necked nonsense.

There was a brief tense silence, and poor Malon looked like she wanted to get away from there.

"Uh... everything is fine," Malon answered, unsure if she should or not, "thank you for asking. I wish you all the best again. Come on dear." She tugged on her fiance's arm.

With that, they both bowed again and hurried from in front of us. I nodded at Malon and Stephen, and didn't hide the slight irritation in my face.

_This is ridiculous, _I thought upset, _did Zelda really have to do that in front of someone?_

I was so annoyed, I didn't even notice the next set of well wishers. Zelda nudged me on the side, and I finally came back to reality from the preoccupation.

"Dear..." Zelda trailed.

I was getting tired of this. I didn't want to do this in the first place.

_I've got your dear, _I thought.

"Uh... thank you," I said with an oblong undertone, not hearing a word the new couple said.

I wanted these proceedings to be done with.

_This is taking a ridiculous amount of time, _I thought.

"Is everything okay Sir Link?" the gentleman asked me.

"He's fine," Zelda segued for me with a smile.

I was tired of her meddling. I turned to Zelda and looked at her.

"I can answer for myself," I said to her firmly, "my dear."

Zelda looked at me shocked as did the young couple greeting us.

I turned my attention back to them.

"I'm fine good sir and madam," I said, "thank you for asking."

The young couple looked at me perplexed, especially considering the expression on my face.

"Uh... indeed," the young woman said to me, "all the best to you sir."

I only nodded as they walked by.

When I saw who the next person was I groaned slightly, and tried to hide my face.

It was Prince Tidus from Zanarkan.

_I hate this guy, he always has something stupid to say, _I thought frustrated. _Why doesn't he just go play blitz ball or whatever that silly game is?_

He bowed and approached the throne. He looked deeply into Zelda's eyes.

"If only all the world were as beautiful as you Princess of Hyrule," Tidus said to Zelda, "we would be in a much better place."

He took her hand into his and kissed the back of her palm.

_Oh goddesses, _I thought annoyed, _is he for real?_

Zelda blushed.

"Thank you Prince Tidus," she said to him softly.

Tidus looked over at me, then back to Zelda.

"Sir Link," he said to me stiffly.

The feeling was more than mutual.

"Prince Tidus," I said with a nod of respect.

Tidus then turned his attention back to Zelda.

"It's too bad you didn't have more time to consider _my _offer," he said to her boldly, "you would have been the perfect queen of Zanarkan."

I smirked at him.

"Believe me good prince," I began, "if she could change her mind, I'm sure she would."

Zelda looked over at me surprised at my assertion.

Tidus narrowed his eyes at me.

"Yes," he said to me quietly, "I'm sure of that too."

Tidus bowed, then went to the wayside.

I merely nodded at him.

Next to approach was Prince Leonhart from Balaam. The handsome devil hated my guts ever since I beat his record three years back during a hunt in his home territory of Balaam Garden.

_He's probably still pissed about that, _I thought with a snide grin.

"Princess if there were but one word to describe you at this moment," Leonhart began, "it would be 'innocent.'"

_Wrong, _I thought, _there is nothing innocent about this woman._

I didn't mean to, but out of nowhere I started chuckling at the ridiculous rhetoric.

Prince Leonhart looked at me with slight repugnance.

"Is there something funny Sir Link?" he asked me with obvious disregard.

I just looked at him.

"You mean besides the silly words coming out of your mouth?" I replied. "No."

Prince Leonhart narrowed his eyes at me.

"If I didn't respect her highness so much..." he trailed.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You'd what?" I challenged.

Zelda quickly cleared her throat and forced a smile across her face.

"Thank you for your compliment Prince Leonhart," she said quickly. "It is always important to have such a _prudent_ ally."

Prince Leonhart took Zelda's hand and kissed it, then glared at me.

"All the best to you Sir Link," he said mechanically.

"Likewise," I said, turning from facing him.

The greetings went on for another two hours.

I honestly thought my behind fell asleep.

"When is this going to be over?" I muttered to myself annoyed.

Zelda glanced over at me in slight irritation with regard to my attitude, apparently having heard what I said.

"It's going to get better Sir Sourpuss," she whispered to me.

I looked around the room to see where Daphnes had gone and he was still standing near the captain. Apparently, he conjured up some plan that I wasn't in the know of. Even still, the captain initiated several aspects of the plan we constructed before. I saw the soldiers dispersed inside the hall, and outside surrounding the wall in the gardens. They were on full alert.

_At least the captain knows how to improvise, _I thought.

Zelda saw that my attention was diverted, and that actually caught the attention of several of the guests. To circumvent what was going on and liven up the party, the princess cued the master of ceremonies to introduce the Gerudo Sword Dancing Troupe. It was a good save.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Hyrule is proud to present you with the exotic apparitions from the eastern Gerudo Desert, the Gerudo Dance Troupe!" the master of ceremonies exclaimed.

The audience cheered and clapped as they cleared the main floor. Nine beautiful Gerudo dancers pranced onto the marble clearing and prostrated themselves of the floor.

"Your highness and sir knight," the lead dancer began, "we as part of the Gerudo tribe fashioned this dance for your ceremony in honor of our two nations now at peace."

The Gerudo woman put her hands together and then bowed. She rejoined her troupe as they waited for the cue of the music. The musical cadence began and all the women stood up slowly, then they each pulled out two long Katanas and started gliding across the floor. The audience gasped in wonder as the women tossed the swords to each other and flipped into aerial attack pirouettes gracefully without injuring themselves. However, the main gasp came when the women ceased with the swords, and pulled off their warlike garb revealing skimpy two piece outfits and transitioned into a risqué belly dance. I raised my eyebrows when I saw that.

_Now _this _is more like it, _I thought with a subtle grin.

I think every man in that hall was now paying attention.

I knew I was.

The lead dancer strayed away from the group and shimmied up the steps, clanging her castanets, and coming towards the thrones of Zelda and myself. She was smiling and her beautiful red hair was a striking contrast to her golden hazel eyes and caramel brown skin. I could sense Zelda was not comfortable with the overt sexuality of this woman, but she tried not to let it show.

"I didn't realize they were going to do _this _dance," she said quietly to herself. "Maybe I should have reminded them _children_ were going to be here."

The woman stopped in front of Zelda and smiled sweetly, but then furtively made her way over to me and raised her arms into another shimmy and flexed her flat abdominal muscles back and forth and winked at me. She clanged her castanets near my ears flirtatiously before _sitting _down temporarily in my lap. She didn't initiate any movement for a lap dance, but I think everyone in that hall knew she wanted to give me one. Instead, she jumped up, kissed my nose, and pretended it was an innocent gesture.

_Well played, _I thought.

"Congratulations sir knight," she said to me seductively.

I didn't wink back so as not to start a controversy, but I did raise my eyebrows and smirk.

_Nice... silhouette, _I thought of her sexy curvaceous body.

"Thank you," I replied back, clearing my throat a little.

The Gerudo woman then went back down the steps and ended the number with her troupe. The crowd broke out into thunderous applause, especially the men.

"Encore!" one man stated boldly, but then had to remember where he was.

A few of the guests laughed at his spiritedness.

_I second that, _I thought with a raised eyebrow, _that was one hell of a dance._

Zelda cleared her throat uncomfortably and turned to me. She stared at me for a moment.

_Oh boy, _I thought, knowing what was coming next.

"Did you like _that _part of the party my dear?" she asked me with an accusing tone.

I took in a deep breath and casually shrugged my shoulders.

"Yes," I said honest, "actually I did."

_Hell, if she can have_ two_ princes outwardly flirt with her in front of me, why can't I have one Gerudo dancer do the same? _I thought, feeling justified.

Zelda narrowed her eyes slightly at me and turned back to the crowd.

The crowd began whispering to each other when they saw Zelda's jealous reaction. It didn't make it any better that Zelda and I both had somewhat strained expressions on our faces. We didn't look like two people in love at all.

_This is all we need right now, _I thought, looking for a deferment.

Out of the corner of my eye, I did notice a more heightened awareness from the guard. Several inside the hall were routinely going through the crowd to check individuals who seemed out of the ordinary. I panned my vision to the doors leading to the garden and saw some guards scouting the grounds for anything untoward.

I sighed at stress starting to overwhelm this situation. One of the children I spoke to earlier looked at me and waved. I waved back.

"Smile," I muttered to myself, and forced myself to show some teeth, "just pretend like everything is okay and smile."

The moderator looked at Zelda and I helplessly when the buzz from the crowd didn't quickly dissipate. Zelda quickly nodded at him signifying for him to announce the next act. It was just in time too.

"Uh..." the master of ceremonies started reluctantly, still sensing the tension in the air, "thank you ladies from Gerudo."

The murmuring hum didn't go away, in fact after the announcer said that, it got a little louder.

_Come on people! _I thought incredulously. _It was just a dance!_

Zelda glared at the master of ceremonies, wanting him to hurry up and broadcast the next announcement.

"Next we have a special treat for all the children in the audience!" the moderator finally said.

The announcer was hoping the segue to a family oriented event would displace the new found tension. It worked to a degree, because the audience suddenly perked, and... it wasn't just the children who were interested.

"The circus is in town!" the master of ceremonies said excited.

Many of the audience members cheered with enthusiasm.

"The circus?" an older gentleman said excited. "I love the circus!"

I looked over at the man and grinned.

_Don't we all, _I thought.

"And to introduce the fun here's Faaaaaabio the clown!" the master of ceremonies announced.

Many of the audience looked at the announcer strangely after he said the name.

"Who?" a lady asked perplexed.

"Faaaaaaaaabio the clown!" the masters of ceremonies repeated.

_Fabio? _I thought incredulous. _That's his name?_

The audience broke out into another hum of confusion, however it was short lived. Fabio, an ultra buff, bare chested clown with perfect blonde hair, made his appearance from behind a ceiling tapestry and floated down using a cuckoo. He tossed several green rupees out to the audience, and suddenly his name didn't mean much of anything to anyone anymore. Fabio had just become fabulous. He made clowning look sexy, and all the women noticed. I chuckled to myself.

_Gerudos for the men, _I thought, _and Fabio for the women, well played Zelda._

I glanced over at the princess and grinned.

"Good morning boys and girls!" he said enthusiastically. "Who wants a balloon?"

"I do!" several kids and adult females alike said in unison.

All the teenage girls immediately screamed at the sight of him. Fabio immediately got to work blowing up balloons and handing them off to children. There were even several adults who shamelessly asked for Keaton balloon sculptures for themselves. The next twenty minutes Fabio continued entertaining the audience with flexing his muscles, jokes, and making balloon art for the children. The jokes were pretty corny, but they were funny nonetheless. Once Fabio was done the master of ceremonies returned to the floor.

"Thank you Fabio!" the master of ceremonies said excitedly. "I'm glad you weren't just... clowning around!"

A few guests chuckled at the joke.

_Oh goddesses, make it stop, _I thought sarcastically.

"The show isn't over yet folks!" the master of ceremonies announced. "We have a special treat for you gymnastics lovers out there! Please help me in introducing the high flying aerial quintet of beauty and wonder! The dynamic sensation making a wave across our great nation! Please welcome the Eldiiiiiin Acrobats!"

I raised an eyebrow when he said that.

_The Eldin Acrobats? _I wondered, clapping with everyone else, never seeing their show, but only hearing of them in name only.

Zelda looked over at me, and for a moment seemed pleased I was enjoying the festivities she put together.

_A moment of civility? _I thought in mild disbelief. _I can't believe it._

The crowd clapped in anticipation, and suddenly five nimble women dressed in red and yellow diamond patterned body suits, all wearing white make up, and all with black hair, flipped out onto the floor. The first girl was tiny and entered with a somersault. She landed gracefully and smiled at the audience. The second girl was a little taller than the first, and entered with a front flip. She bowed and waved when she stood up. The third girl was all smiles when she tumbled onto the floor. She landed into the splits and waved to the crowd spiritedly. The fourth girl entered with a back flip, and then front flipped _into_ a back flip. She got several 'oohs' with her entrance. That was pretty impressive. Finally, the last girl who was the tallest cartwheeled into a somersault and landed on the shoulders of the fourth girl. She then front flipped off her friend and bowed, she was pretty impressive as well. Each of them had smiles on their faces.

_That's one hell of an entrance, _I thought, clapping again with the rest of the audience.

I sat back on the throne, trying to get comfortable, but I had to do a double take on the last girl because she suddenly looked familiar.

_Wait a minute... _I thought and narrowed my eyes slightly.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at her perplexed. Zelda noticed she had my attention and touched my forearm.

"What's the matter?" she asked me quietly. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head of my thought process thinking I was being silly.

_Optical illusions Link, _I told myself, _optical illusions. That isn't who I think it is because I told_ her_ not to come._

"Nothing," I replied, then turned to give Zelda a smile.

Zelda stared into my eyes for a moment before she grinned back.

"Okay," she said to me.

A gong sounded and the routine began.

The girls started off with an in sync lyrical dance cadence that led into more complicated leg work and flips. They separated into two teams of two and one team of one, and back flipped onto each other's shoulders and walked across the hall blowing kisses and making faces at children. The audience loved it and applauded the girls talents. The routine transitioned into tumbling across the floor while the girls front flipped off the shoulders of one another. The audience 'oohed' excitedly when the girls flipped nearby. One little girl tried to run in the middle of the routine and get on one of the acrobats back. The acrobat coming by on her pass saw the child and flipped over the little girl dodging her. The stunt generated a little applause, and the girl's mother, who was embarrassed, came and pulled her back into the crowd.

"I told you to stay away from there!" she scolded.

I had to admit I was impressed with the level of talent these women displayed, but there was one girl I couldn't take my eyes off of. I could tell under all that make up she had an extraordinarily beautiful face, but it was her body movement that I was so intrigued by.

_I've seen movement like this before... _I thought with a trail suspiciously, _but she can't be... she _better _not be._

The routine ended with the five girls stacked on each other's shoulders, and the one I had my eye on was on top doing a triple flip into a front somersault and landing gracefully at the edge of the stairs leading up to the thrones. She put her hands in the air and smiled enthusiastically at me and Zelda.

"Congratulations Princess Zelda and Sir Link!" she said to the both of us.

I raised my eyebrows at the sound of her voice, and then I saw something I wasn't expecting. It was a flash of _green_ underneath the girl's black hair.

_Wait a minute, _I thought and narrowed my eyes again at the woman, _is that...?_

Zelda merely smiled and nodded at the dancer, signifying her acknowledgement of the girl's thanksgiving. I looked at the girl with open distrust for a moment, but then had to realize I was going to bring undue attention to the situation. I forced another smile across my face and nodded.

"Uh... thank you," I said politely to her.

The crowd extolled another round of applause, and the five girls quickly exited out of the south gate to the garden. I watched the one girl pull on hair slightly and it shifted.

_That's a wig, _I thought suddenly, and stood up. _That _is _who I think it is!_

Zelda looked up at me surprised.

"What's the matter?" she asked me quietly, wondering what had gotten into me all of a sudden.

"Nothing," I said quickly, and then without explaining, hurried down the steps to the garden outside.

The crowd looked at me shocked.

The master of ceremonies looked stunned. He glanced over at Zelda, who merely nodded to him stating it was alright and to hold the next item on the itinerary for now.

Outside, I looked around the commodious garden, until I saw the Eldin Circus wagon parked near the castle gate entrance. I power walked over to where the wagon was, getting confused looks from many of the other acts and some of the guards patrolling the area.

"Is everything okay sir?" a guard asked me wondering why I left the party.

I simply nodded at him, not wanting to arouse anymore suspicion.

The Gerudo troupe who had just performed looked at me surprised to see me outside, but then the head dancer smirked at me seductively.

"You want another dance my lord?" she asked me.

I smirked back at her.

"Later," I replied with a wink.

When I got to the Eldin Circus wagon, I stopped short from entering the acrobat's dressing room. I knocked on the door impatiently and waited.

_I know that's her, _I thought.

When the door opened, one of the girl's looked at me confused and surprised, she bowed immediately.

"Good morning Sir Link," she said to me politely.

I didn't mean to be rude, but I barged in past her to the girl I had been looking at during the actual show. The woman turned away and wouldn't look at me.

"Good morning madam," I said to the woman in a quiet undertone.

"Good morning Sir Link," she replied.

I could tell she was trying to mask her voice.

_That isn't going to work, _I thought.

"What are you doing here?" I asked without beating around the bush.

The other women looked at me confused.

"What is he talking about?" they whispered to each other.

There was a brief pause between her and I.

"I'm a part of this acrobatic routine," she said to me softly, still not looking at me.

I didn't reply right away.

"I know it's you Saria," I accused.

The other women's eyes widened in surprise.

"Saria?" one of them said confused. "She's our friend Selma."

Another girl stepped forward and gave the woman I was talking to a strange look.

"You are Selma, aren't you?" she asked.

The accused young woman quickly turned to look at her colleagues.

"Of course I am!" she said to them. "You saw me do the routine! How would I know if I wasn't one of the Eldin five?"

I was getting tired of the charade.

"Saria stop with the act!" I demanded quietly. "Take off that wig and show them who you really are!"

The other girls looked from her to me, not knowing who to believe now.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about!" she said quickly to them. "Tell him I've been practicing with you for the past five years."

The other women's eyes got wide when she said that. They knew that was no way to speak to soon to be royalty. They knew something was amiss.

"Selma..." one of them trailed.

I wasn't going to waste time going back and forth over this matter, especially when I knew better. I went to pull off the girl's wig.

"Sorry ladies, this is not Selma," I said, reaching over, taking off the black hair, and watching Saria's green hair flow down her back.

Saria closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Damn it," she muttered to herself.

The other girls gasped in shock at my action, but they were even more surprised when they saw Saria had deceived them all.

"I can't believe it," one of them said still stunned.

Another girl was shaking her head.

"What have you done to our friend?" she demanded of Saria.

Saria sat in the seat looking at her reflection in the vanity mirror. I was sure she was angry that I exposed her little farce.

"Your friend is fine," Saria said quietly, "she's taking care of a friend of mine."

_The doctor, _I thought.

"Will you ladies excuse us for a moment?" I asked the other women. "I need to speak with Selma slash Saria alone."

The women hesitated for a second, but then made their way out of the wagon trailer. I followed after the last girl exiting to close the door behind her. I turned back around and looked at Saria upset.

"I told you not to come here," I started, having to keep my temper in check.

Saria stood up and turned to look at me.

"I know, but I couldn't stay away," she said to me honestly.

I got a little annoyed at hearing her say that.

"Saria-" I started.

"I didn't come here to argue," she interrupted me, "I came here to bring you news about the crystals. In a way, I'm glad you caught me."

I looked at her puzzled, but she immediately had my attention after saying that.

"What news about the crystals?" I asked, detracting for a moment.

Saria sighed.

"The doctor found out some new info this morning and told me they are time triggered for intermittent bouts of distortion," she began, "meaning that they open and close within a certain time frame."

I looked at her surprised.

"Did the doctor say when the countdown starts to when it finishes?" I asked.

Saria shook her head.

"He isn't sure about that," she said with a sigh, "all he knows is that it's diurnal, so it's going to happen during the day, and once it's open there is a span of two hours before it closes."

I looked at Saria perplexed.

"The crystals are diurnal?" I inquired confused. "But we've seen Zant use them at night."

Saria nodded.

"True," she said, "but the doctor told me the true power of the crystals can only be exerted throughout the day. The problem for Zant is, he only has that two hour window to use that power. The problem for us is, he can elicit his entire army through the portals he's created and cast the whole land in Twilight."

I felt my stomach churn at the sound of that.

_Two hours to unleash hell on Hyrule, _I thought.

I took in a deep breath.

"And Daphnes wanted to have a damn party today," I murmured to myself upset.

Saria looked at me and raised her eyebrows in understanding.

"Maybe he thought Zant would be sympathetic towards the civilians," she said, trying to be optimistic.

I gave her an oddball look.

"You give that man too much credit," I said to her seriously, "his madness is right up there with Zant's, it's no wonder they're related."

Saria sighed, then looked at me.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, getting the subject back on track.

I looked at her and shook my head for a moment.

"What can I do but wait," I replied.

Saria nodded and looked down at her gloved hands.

"I guess that's the only option," she said with a sigh.

We were silent for a moment, and I grinned suddenly at her appearance.

"What gave you the circus idea?" I asked her. "It was a pretty clever cover."

Saria's eyes widened and her face softened with a smile.

"It was actually brought to my attention by Cujo last week," she said with a grin.

I looked at her puzzled.

"What?" I asked, feeling my smile widen.

Saria gave me an obvious stare.

"You told him I joined the circus, and he asked me how that was going," she said to me, "I had no idea what he was talking about."

I chuckled, but then stopped all of a sudden.

"You didn't beat up their friend Selma did you?" I asked suddenly.

Saria looked at me surprised.

"No!" she said quickly. "I just asked her if she could look after the doctor while I took her place for the day. Why the hell would I do that Link?"

I smirked at her again.

"You do have that crazy assassin thing going," I replied.

Saria was initially going to get upset, but then thought about it and chuckled.

"I'm never going to live that comment down am I?" she asked me with a grin.

I shook my head no.

"Not as long as you know me," I said with another chuckle.

Saria looked into my eyes for a moment and just smiled.

"I guess I had that coming," she said.

There was another brief silence between us, but before I could break it and continue the conversation, there was a loud pounding on the trailer door.

_What in the world? _I thought.

I went to open it, but was beaten by the over eager person wanting to get inside from the outside.

It was Zelda.

_Holy Hylia, _I thought surprised.

She was looking at me furious, but when she saw Saria she became livid.

"I knew it!" she said angrily to me.

I tried to take hold of her, but Zelda pushed herself away from me.

"Why didn't you just advertise Link?" Zelda demanded of me. "_Everyone _knew where you went!"

I took in a deep sigh.

"But _no one _knows who she is," I tried to reason.

Zelda then turned to Saria, who bowed at the sight of her.

"Your highness," Saria said respectfully.

Zelda narrowed her eyes at her.

"And you..." she trailed, her voice was filled with so much venom, "the entire kingdom is in an uproar because of you!"

Saria took in a deep breath and swallowed hard.

I knew Zelda meant much more than she was letting on. She was trying to blame my belated feelings for her on Saria.

"Your highness-" Saria tried.

"Shut up!" Zelda snapped at her.

I stood in Zelda's way so she wouldn't get access to Saria. I had to bring down the tension so nothing extreme would happen.

"Look, I'm on my way back to the party now," I said to Zelda, trying to diffuse the situation, "just calm down."

Zelda's anger didn't subside when she turned to look at me.

"Calm down?" she demanded of me shaking her head. "Why can't you just stay away from her? Why do you insist on hurting me like this?"

I nearly scoffed.

_Hurting you? With what you've done? _I thought in disbelief.

I took in a deep breath, knowing she already knew the answers to those questions.

"Because I love her Zelda," I said honestly. "You may have made the three words I want to tell her be her trigger to die, but she _knows _I love her. I can say that without any regrets."

Zelda stared into my eyes as hers filled with tears. She quickly turned away from me and sobbed into her gloved hands. I hated that the situation had turned angsty like this, but it couldn't be helped. I wasn't going to lie. Saria was looking uncomfortably at the ground while all of this was taking place. She glanced up when she saw Zelda's back to her, then looked over at me. Saria made a gesture to hug, then pointed to the princess. I shook my head no, but Saria made a fist at me in a threatening gesture and insisted.

_'Do it,' _she mouthed.

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

Reluctantly, I took Zelda in my arms and hugged her tight. Zelda buried her head in my chest and continued to cry. Saria gave me the thumbs up signal and I couldn't help but grin at her, especially with the way she looked in her clown garb. Zelda pulled back when she felt the rise and fall of my chest when I chuckled. She looked repulsed at what was going on.

"You think this is funny Link?" she demanded of me.

_Oops, _I thought.

I sighed again, not meaning to come off offensively.

"No I-" I tried, but before I could finish she slapped me across my face and stormed out of the trailer.

I looked after her stunned, then turned to Saria.

"What the hell was that for?" I demanded.

Saria shook her head and looked at me surprised.

"Go after her you idiot!" she ordered me quickly.

Realizing that was the only way to diffuse the situation, I hurried out the door and followed after Zelda.

"Zelda!" I called to her, but she didn't stop.

Several of the performers and guards were watching us curiously as we stormed by. I nodded and tried to smile.

"Zelda!" I called to her again hoping to reach her before she reached the banquet hall.

It was too late, she was already stalking inside and beginning to turn heads in the crowd as she stormed by. I finally caught up to her and turned her around by the elbow, she looked at me defiantly.

"Do you honestly think I-" she tried, but I interrupted her by pressing my mouth against hers.

_Just shut up, _I thought, cupping her face and kissing her deeply.

There was an initial gasp from the audience, but the gasp soon turned to applause.

"Way to go Sir Link!" a young boy said enthusiastically.

"I wish my husband would kiss me like that," I heard a young woman say with a sigh.

"I can only _imagine _what the honeymoon is going to be like!" another young maiden said dreamily, "The princess is _so _lucky!"

"_That's _the way you end a lover's quarrel!" an older aristocrat stated bluntly.

"Showoff," I heard Prince Leonhart mutter.

When I pulled away, Zelda stared into my eyes shocked.

I swallowed hard hoping that would be enough to keep her quiet.

_Please Zelda... don't make a scene, _I thought, trying to convey that to her with my eyes.

She put her hand to her mouth and blushed which generated more applause.

"I want to be just like the first knight!" another young man stated animated.

I looked over and smirked at the gentleman and then turned back to the princess.

"Shall we go back to our seats?" I asked her gently.

Zelda merely nodded and took my hand into hers. I glanced at the crowd, most of which were still cheering and guided Zelda back to our seats. When I sat down, I did notice one of the acrobat girls standing in the shadow of the gate looking at both Zelda and myself. It took me a moment to realize the girl was Saria because she had put her wig back on. I could see from the distance she was grinning, but it was a sad grin; she must've saw what happened.

_I had to Sar, _I thought guiltily with a sigh.

As if answering me in my head, Saria merely nodded with approval and went back outside the gate.

I looked to the ground for a moment and realized the entire audience had their eyes on Zelda and I. I cleared my throat and tried to smile.

"Uh... please continue," I said, trying to force elation into my voice.

The master of ceremonies glanced at Zelda, and she nodded the okay. She was still blushing and took my hand and squeezed it affectionately.

_That apparently worked, _I thought.

"Uh..." the master of ceremonies started, "the citizens of Hyrule would like to impart their goodwill upon their future king and queen by bestowing a gift for a long and prosperous rule."

I looked a little confused.

_They're doing the gift giving before serving lunch? _I wondered. _Another change in the itinerary that I didn't know about._

The citizens all began lining up near the staircase with their gifts in hand. I sighed at the thought of having to unwrap two thousand gifts before I had anything to eat.

The first person to approach the throne was a young merchant. He was actually the merchant I cut off from seeing Daphnes last week.

_I hope he's still not upset, _I thought.

The merchant bowed and then presented his gift: the Staff of Somaria.

I looked at the gift intrigued.

Zelda's eyes widened.

"It's beautiful," she stated softly, "how does one use it?"

The merchant smiled at her.

"It's a secret to everybody," he said cryptically, "I'm not even sure."

_And you want to give it to the royal family? _I thought in disbelief. _Bad move._

"Thank you," I said to him as he walked away.

The next person to present his gift was the extremely creepy happy mask salesman.

_I may be twenty five years old, but he still scares me, _I thought.

He bowed and opened a suede box. In it was a magnificent blue ring.

"This ring is supposed to offer its wearer long life," he said to us.

I looked at the ring intrigued.

"What's the name of it?" I asked.

The salesman looked at me like I was a fool.

"The Blue Ring," he said to me.

I raised my eyebrows at the obvious nature of the logic.

The salesman then bowed and walked away.

_I still can't believe what he almost had happen to Termina, _I thought.

The next person to present their gift was a mother and a daughter of humble means. They presented a gift of cured cuckoo meat in a glass jar. The sight of it made my stomach go grumble, grumble.

_Man I really must be hungry, _I thought.

Zelda bowed to the gift graciously, then took the woman's hand in hers.

"Thank you so much for giving your best," she said gratefully to the woman.

The woman teared up and bowed.

"You're welcome your highness," she said.

I smiled at the gift and nodded my head in respect.

"This is my favorite gift so far," I said honest.

The woman and her little girl looked at me surprised.

"Thank you Sir Link," she said sincere.

The woman and her daughter then bowed and walked away.

The next to present was the Mailman.

I looked at him strangely, surprised he was taking a day off.

_I don't want a letter telling me something I already know, _I thought, wishing the proceedings could go faster.

The Mailman bowed and then approached. He presented something I honestly was not expecting: the Titan's Mitts.

_How in the hell did he get his hands on those? _I thought in disbelief.

Zelda's eyes widened in surprise.

"The fabled Titan's Mitts really do exist," she said, nearly speechless, "thank you for presenting such a powerful gift."

"Allow me madam," the Mailman said pulling out stationery from his pocket, "the gift came with a card."

I looked at him confused, but then realized _he _wasn't giving the gift, he was delivering it.

_This guy never takes a day off, _I thought.

The Mailman cleared his throat. Everyone was waiting eagerly to hear what the note's contents read.

"Ahem," the Mailman started, "'Donkey Kong ain't got nothing on these!' thank you."

Everyone looked at the Mailman confused.

"Who's Donkey Kong?" I heard one man ask another.

"I don't know," the other replied, "but I wish I knew the gift giver. I would _kill _for the Titan's Mitts."

The Mailman then bowed and walked away.

The next gift was presented by a strange looking old man in a dark brown cloak. The man clapped his hands and two of his attendants came up the stairs with a beautiful looking blue and gold trunk embossed with intricate embroidery.

I raised my eyebrows immediately when I felt an innate sense of alert go off inside me.

_That trunk looks similar to the ones I used to find in the temples where the bosses hid their keys, _I thought.

As the man approached he had his arms open in a gesture of goodwill, but I stopped him from approaching.

"Who are you?" I asked the man rather blunt.

Zelda looked over at me surprised.

"Link..." she trailed at my rude tone.

I ignored her sense of formalities at the moment.

"Who are you?" I repeated.

The old man smiled.

"I'm a mere traveler from a distant country coming to pay my respects to the future king and queen," he said to me simply.

I never took my eyes off him and inherently placed my hand on my sword.

"Oh really?" I replied with open distrust.

Zelda was embarrassed at my quick movement to draw and went to open the box. Inside was a three piece strange looking armor.

Zelda had never seen it before.

"What is it?" she asked the old man confused.

The old man smiled at her.

"In my country we call it the heirloom of enchantment," he replied with an encryption to his words.

_The heirloom of enchantment? _I wondered.

I looked from the armor to the old man suspiciously.

_There's something not right about all this, _I thought.

I narrowed my eyes at the old man, then stood up.

The citizens waiting behind him looked at my actions incredulously. Zelda too, was surprised at my stance.

"Link what are you doing?" she asked me in a worried tone looking out at her subjects.

_"It's some mysterious weapon of Zant's Twili father called the Fused Shadow," _Saria's voice echoed through my mind.

I looked down at the three pieces of armor once more and abruptly slammed the lid to the chest shut, then drew my blade.

Zelda looked at me shocked.

The old man narrowed his eyes at me.

"There will be no enchantment here," I said in a low threatening voice.

The crowd was suddenly on edge and people began walking in the opposite direction of the throne.

"What's going on?" I heard a woman whisper to her husband.

"I don't know," he replied to her, "but I think we should leave."

The staircase suddenly became a hum of murmurs.

I gripped my sword knowingly.

"Oh yes sir knight," the old man said to me in a low whispery voice that I immediately began to recognize, "there _will _be enchantment. Your _whole _land will be covered in enchantment!"

The lid to box suddenly shot open and the three piece armor floated in the air.

The old man's countenance began to change into just who I was expecting it to, Zant.

A woman from the crowd immediately screamed and tried heading for the exit along with several hundred other people. However, the doors suddenly slammed shut and everyone inside the hall was now stuck.

Zelda gasped at the sight of Zant.

"Z-Zant!" she said breathless.

Zant merely smiled back and held up his blade.

"Hello my lovely little niece," he said to Zelda menacing, "so the enchantment begins."

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 23 is coming soon!<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**Inspirations: "First Knight" with Richard Gere and Sean Connery, the "amakakeru ryu no hirameki" from Ruroni Kenshin, and the seven skills of Link from The Hero's Shade in "Twilight Princess".**

**Original Shout Outs: Opportunity Only & Vivi.**

**New Shout Out: Shioran Toushin thanks for reading new reader.**

**Author Note: Reddited 4/21/2013: Thank you all for reading. Only one more to go! ~ZR~.**

* * *

><p>The Engagement Party: Part 2<p>

Chapter 23

Zelda froze in her seat, terrified with fear, as she stared into Zant's eyes. The three pieced Fused Shadow swirled through the air in a deadly aerial cadence before it came forcefully back down towards Zant. The armor attached itself to Zant's body, and a golden brown light iridized around him when the transformation was complete. I quickly got in front of the princess and initiated my battle stance. I looked past Zant searching for the captain of the guard, needing him desperately to start evacuating the citizens. However, I found Daphnes coming up the stairs instead. I was uncertain with that.

_What is he planning to do? _I wondered impatiently. _Now is not the time for anymore surprises._

Daphnes was holding his Estramacon and pointing it at Zant. My eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of that.

_Don't be presumptuous Daphnes, _I thought, _this involves more than just you._

"This ends today you belated vagrant," the king said to Zant.

Zant turned his attention away briefly from Zelda and me, and looked at the king. "Well, well, well if it isn't my treacherous old nephew," he said with a smile.

Zant's words immediately got a reaction from the crowd. The room began droning with auspicious muttering.

"Nephew?" one man whispered to another. "What in the world is he talking about?"

"How is _that _even possible?" the other replied. "This man isn't even Hylian. He isn't any race that I've ever seen before."

"This... this _thing _is obviously mad," a woman whispered to her friend, "_it_ absolutely makes no sense."

Zant merely smirked at the murmuring. It seemed to be pleasing to him.

_The more discord the better, _I couldn't help but think, _this is going to get ugly fast._

"'Thing' huh?" I heard Zant mutter to himself. The mask was covering his face, so I couldn't get a read on his expression.

I looked beyond the intended usurper to find the captain. I wished beyond anything to get the citizens out of the hall. Zant was going to be merciless.

_Where in the hell is he? _I wondered slightly upset. _This is no time for hiding!_

It was no use, I couldn't see him anywhere.

"Looks like you've kept your people in the dark to the truth," Zant was saying to the king, shaking his head.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at the Twili.

"The people of Hyrule are keen individuals, and can see through treachery," Daphnes replied.

I raised my eyebrows furtively when Daphnes said that. I had to give the king credit, that was a clever way to turn the tables on the truth, the _real _truth. With the way he worded that statement, he made it seem like Zant was the only crazy deviant between the two of them.

_Daphnes you are an adroit bastard, _I thought with an unorthodox sense of admiration, _I guess it takes that to be the king of Hyrule._

Even still, it was my job to protect the royal family. There was no way I was going to stand there and let the king fight when his safety was my priority.

"Sire," I said, wanting to segue in, already knowing Zant's fighting style, "allow me."

However, Daphnes shook his head no.

"Not this time," he said to me seriously.

I looked at Daphnes surprised.

_This is no time for vendettas and altruistic heroics, _I thought, _Zant will kill you Daphnes._

I couldn't let that slide.

"Sire I must protest, this is no-" I tried.

"Silence!" Daphnes interrupted me, giving me a look of warning.

The king wasn't kidding.

_Damn it! _I thought angrily. _How in the hell can he defend against Zant's Gatotsu? He fences for Hylia's sake!_

I stood down at Daphnes' wishes and scanned the crowd for the captain once more. There was still no sign of him.

_Where the hell is he? _I thought. _  
><em>

I scanned the crowd twice and didn't find him.

_Now is not the time for hide and goddamn seek! _I thought in irritation.

Meanwhile, Daphnes raised his sword initiating his guard stance, and surprisingly so did Zant. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. I didn't want the citizens to see their king fight and possibly be killed. However, as I studied Zant's stance I was abruptly taken aback and quickly went to protect Zelda. The Twili wasn't initiating the _Gatotsou, _his battle stance was the same as the king's. The usurper was engaged in the style of fencing.

_He's going to beat Daphnes using his own technique, _I thought, hating having to doubt the king at such a pivotal moment.

I sighed as I pulled Zelda close to me, realizing there was more than one royal to protect. I took her and hid her behind the thrones.

_How many fighting styles does Zant know? _I thought in mild disbelief.

Zelda clung to me in fear. "What is that thing he's using?" she asked.

I took in a deep breath.

"Something called the Fused Shadow," I said, "I don't know how much stronger he'll be with it, he was already strong without it."

I saw the concern cross Zelda's face when I uttered that.

"You think father is way in over his head, don't you?" she asked.

_Yes, _I thought, but didn't share my thoughts.

"Your father knows his craft well, " I stated, "but I don't plan on letting him fight this psychopath alone."

Zelda searched my face hopefully just then.

"Link, there's something I need to tell you about why father insisted on the crowd, he told me this morning that-" she tried, but I interrupted her, at that moment I didn't care.

"I want you to make a run for the counsel room as soon as you get the opportunity," I ordered, "your safety is too important."

Zelda stared into my eyes for a moment.

"Link please..." she trailed.

I didn't have time to worry on that, whatever it was was going to have to be privy to me later.

_Not now Zelda, _I thought.

"I need for you to go," I insisted, "you're too precious to the country."

Zelda pursed her lips together and nodded finally.

"Alright," she said, "but in the end I hope you _truly _understand my father's actions. I too thought it was madness, but he really does love his people. I'll try and take some of the citizens with me as I go."

Right now, I couldn't see what she was seeing, especially with the erroneous actions of Daphnes of late. Even still, I was going to keep an open mind. Zelda wasn't a treacherous person to put people's lives endanger. If she said she knew the truth about her father's actions, then I believed her. There was no sense in doubting her now.

I nodded at her words.

"Try to be inconspicuous," I said to her, "stealth reconnaissance must be a priority. Think back to your Sheik days. If you can't take anyone with you, don't. I'll alert the guards to evacuate the people."

Zelda tried to smirk and nodded again.

"Okay," she said, swallowing hard, "thank you so much for still caring."

I stared into her eyes, took her in my arms, and gave her a tight secure hug.

"It's going to be okay," I reassured, "Zant won't win, you and I both are going to live through this."

Zelda hugged me back, then pulled away to stare into my eyes once more.

"I know," she replied, then impulsively came close and kissed my mouth.

I let her, I knew it was comforting to her.

"I love you," she whispered when she pulled away.

I tried to smile and nodded.

"I know," I said.

"Please be careful," she said with a slightly broken voice.

I nodded again

"I will," I said, "now go."

Zelda obeyed, and I watched as she crawl to the north entrance doors. I nodded towards one of the guards in the vicinity who was alerted to the sudden disturbance. He knew exactly what to do when he opened the door, and readied himself to protect the princess.

_That's one problem rectified, _I thought.

Once the princess was safely out of harm's way, I stood back up and went back around to see Daphnes and Zant already engaged in combat. I stayed my ground like Daphnes wanted, but if I saw him begin to lose, I was going to intervene whether he wanted me to or not.

_I'm not going to let the citizens of this country watch their king be killed due to his own beguiled arrogance, _I thought, _no matter how much he may deserve it._

"It looks like you've been practicing nephew," Zant said, as he tried striking Daphnes in his guard stance.

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at the Twili.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time Zant," he replied.

Zant side stepped twice and lunged at the king. Daphnes momentarily lost his stance but quickly stood up and reengaged him.

"Not nearly as long as I have," Zant said, losing some of the nuance in his voice, then lunged at the king again.

Daphnes lost his footing again and nearly fell.

_Oh crap, _I thought.

It took everything in me not to intervene.

"Sire!" I heard a man cry out.

_Come on Daphnes, _I thought, _I know you have more in you than that._

"Your majesty!" another woman cried out worried.

I swallowed hard, feeling sweat seed at my brow. The pressure was incredible. I didn't know how much longer I could just stand there and watch.

_Just don't teleport, _I begged in my head, seeing that Zant clearly had the upper hand in this fight, _just teleport over to me and fight me you __Twili bastard._

As if knowing my thoughts, Zant quickly vanished out of the way of Daphnes' passing strike attack. I looked around the area quickly for him.

_Damn! _I thought, placing my hand on the tanged butt of my sword. _Where is he?_

Zant reappeared behind the king, and that was when I knew he was going to try and kill him. I immediately jumped behind Daphnes and countered Zant's attack. Sparks of light emitted from my sword when it came in contact with his, and when I parried and pierced Zant's flesh, his skin started to disappear.

"Ahhh!" he screamed in pain. Zant stumbled back and looked at me bewildered for a moment. "What in the...?" he trailed bewildered by my sword's mechanism.

_So, it does work, _I thought, reinitiating my battle stance.

Daphnes quickly reengaged his stance as well.

_Not now Daphnes, _I thought, _just stand back._

"Where the hell did you find _that_?" I heard Zant mutter of my blade.

Daphnes was breathing hard, but still held up his sword. He was in no condition to fight.

_Stand down Daphnes, _I thought with growing impatience, _this is no place for a rusty swordsman._

"I've got this your majesty," I said to the king, seriously wanting him to stop his engagement.

Daphnes glared at me for a moment.

"I told you not to _interfere_," he growled at me keeping his voice low.

I took in a deep breath.

_Let your arrogance go Daphnes, _I thought.

"I'm afraid I can't do that sire," I said, "you know as well I do that I'm the _only_ one who can defeat him."

Daphnes narrowed his eyes at me slightly. "Not the _only _one master Link," he said more to himself than to me, "but you indeed are the most important one."

I was slightly puzzled by that, but didn't let it show.

_What is he talking about? _I thought.

Zant narrowed his eyes at me when he heard me say that. "Oh really?" he threatened.

"Yes," I replied, gripping my blade, "really."

My words seemed to upset him.

"You really are an arrogant leech!" Zant seethed to me angrily.

The crowd was watching my and Zant's every move. This would have been the perfect time for the citizens to break free, but the people seemed frozen with fear. The tension in the air was palpable. The reverberations from that intensity could have imploded the room. I scanned the room once more in my periphery. I saw some of the soldiers, breaking rank and commencing with evacuation measures. They were trying to be discreet so as not to garner Zant's attention. I finally caught sight of the captain. He was using four men to slowly gather people and direct them towards the basement. There was no telling when he was going to open the portals and summon his Shadow Beast army.

I took in a small sigh of relief.

_It's about time, _I thought, _I have to keep his attention diverted_.

In the meantime, a little girl about several feet away began crying from the tension being exerted off everyone.

"Mommy I want to go home!" she cried out suddenly.

The little girl's mother quickly went to comfort her child. In all honesty, the child's cry was probably the worst thing that could happen right now.

_That's what he wants, _I thought, wishing I could silence her, _to feed off their fear._

"Shh… I know honey," her mother soothed, "I know."

She caressed a hand through her daughter's hair and held her close to her. Zant turned his head slightly at the sight and smirked at the people's over all terror. I knew he was planning to use that to his advantage. It seemed that Zant reasoned that since he knew he couldn't attack me head on, he would have to count on using the people as a bargaining chip. He was stalling, trying to find a segue.

_This is why I wanted to avoid having civilians here, _I thought frustrated, not being able to see what Daphnes or Zelda meant.

"Did you hear that sir knight?" Zant asked me all of a sudden. "Did you hear the little girl's cry for help?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and didn't answer. I knew he was trying to distract me, but it wasn't going to work. Whatever he had planning was based off the methods of lunacy. He was using his inquiries to buy time, but for what was the question.

_What is he waiting for? _I wondered suddenly. _Where are all those ruffians I saw at the tavern? Zant didn't just create all those portals simply for decoration, and I know whatever it is he has planned he only has limited time to execute it._

The two hour time frame was well into its initiation.

"Don't involve any of them," I said to him, "this is between you and me."

Zant scoffed and shook his head, then abruptly teleported from in front of me. It took me a moment to realize where he had gone, until I saw him in the crowd at ground level. A zone of demarcation was quickly made as the people hurried to scramble away from him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the captain evacuate several more people.

_He's doing the best that he can, _I thought.

"You and your silly white knight heroics," Zant said, getting my attention once more.

I felt my eyes widen when I saw Zant had taken capture of the little girl who cried out from her mother.

_Dear Farore, _I thought.

"Mommy!" the little girl screeched in terror.

"Lena!" her mother screamed back, trying to pry her child from Zant's grip. "Please! Let her go!"

Zant back handed the woman to the floor and pulled out a dagger, he then pressed the blade against the little girl's throat. Everyone in the crowd gasped and backed away.

_Now he's using underhanded hostage tricks, _I thought.

"Ah, ah, ah mommy dearest," Zant threatened in a twisted undertone, "if you value your daughter's life you'll back off and listen to what I have to say."

The woman was staring at Zant in sheer horror and began to tremble.

"L-Lena!" the mother stuttered terrified.

Zant raised his eyebrows and gave her a direct look.

"Did you hear what I said?" he asked the woman again.

The woman nodded immediately.

"A-anything," she stammered, "just don't h-hurt my b-baby!"

My breath accelerated when I saw the child's capture and quickly went after her. Zant smirked at the woman, then turned to me, seeing me hurry down the steps towards him.

"Careful now sir knight," he said to me pressing the blade firmly against the girl's throat, "we wouldn't want a repeat of Lake Hylia."

I slowed my advance when he said that. I knew he would kill her if I came any closer. I was only a few feet in front of him when I stopped in my tracks. I swallowed hard when I realized the apt danger his hostage was under.

"Let her go Zant," I said, trying to reason with him, "you don't want to hurt an innocent child."

Zant looked at me surprised.

"I don't?" he said, pretending to be confused, then turned the child around to face him.

The little girl stared at Zant with a tear stricken face.

"What's your name little girl?" he asked her quietly.

The little girl trembled at his voice.

"L-Lena," she replied in a broken voice.

Zant smiled at the child.

"Are you scared Lena?" he asked in a low voice.

The child swallowed hard and nodded.

Zant narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"Do you think someone is going to hurt you?" he asked the little girl.

It took everything in me to remain calm.

_This sick bastard, _I thought repulsed.

I took a step toward Zant, trying to be subtle with my actions.

Zant saw that and darted his eyes towards me.

"Watch… your… feet," he threatened, "you might make me slip and cut this child's throat.

When the little girl heard that, her little body began to quake with fear. I stopped moving and felt my heart accelerate even faster now. I had to remain calm for the sake of the child.

_Don't be presumptuous, _I told myself, _if you do she will die._

Zant returned his attention back to his hostage.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again without any interruptions," he said to the little girl, but then looked at her mother then to me, "right?"

The child's mother quickly nodded.

Zant shot his eyes in my direction.

I looked at the terrified little girl.

"You have my word," I said.

_This deviant, _I thought.

Zant grinned at my answer, then turned his attention back to the little girl. "Do you think someone is going to hurt you?"

The little girl's lips quivered and she nodded her reply.

Zant smiled at her.

"Who do you think would hurt you?" he asked menacingly.

The child started hyperventilating.

"Y-you!" she cried out in fear.

Zant stared in the little girl's eyes.

"Yes," he whispered to her, "yes my dear, I would. I would punish you... _severely_."

The little girl's eyes filled with tears. Her mother couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"Please," the mother begged, "take me instead!"

Zant averted his eyes back to the woman.

"If you interfere one more time, I promise you I'll kill her," he warned the woman.

The woman's breath seemed to be caught in her throat, but she nodded her obedience.

I swallowed hard and spotted the captain trying to calm some people down by the south gate. He cleared out a considerable number of people to the basement, while at the same time circumventing soldiers from the outside back in. He was keeping this maneuvers as low profile as he could.

_He must've gone over all these secondary plans with Daphnes, _I thought relieved._  
><em>

When the captain caught my eye, I nodded for him to see that I recognized what he was doing. He nodded back and immediately went to alerted the others of his team that I was in the know.

"You see," Zant continued to Lena, "the great knight you all have so much respect for needs to be taught a lesson. Do you know what that lesson is Lena?"

The little girl quickly shook her head no. "I don't know what you mean."

Zant stared into her eyes. "Yes, you do."

The little girl swallowed hard and said, "But Sir Link is a good man."

Zant narrowed his eyes and smirked at her response.

"Yes, my dear Lena," he replied, "you are right he is a good man, but he's also an _arrogant _man. He's a _deceitful _man."

I raised an eyebrow when he said that.

_What the hell is he talking about? _I wondered.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Prince Tidus conferring with Prince Leonhart.

_Whatever it is they're planning, I hope they make it subtle, _I thought.

"You see," Zant went on, "he just alerted his guard to evacuate all these people, and didn't think I would notice."

_Damn it! _I thought. _I shouldn't have looked at him._

The little girl tried to be stoic, but she immediately broke into tears.

"W-what's wrong with that?" she sobbed helplessly.

Zant suddenly dropped the smile from his face, and tightly gripped the collar of the little girl's dress.

"I'll tell you what's wrong with that!" he yelled at the child suddenly, then began shaking her in a violent manner. "It means that bastard doesn't value your life!"

Everyone in the crowd collectively gasped at Zant's actions. The little girl screamed and her mother lunged for her. I quickly sprung to action at the raising of Zant's voice. Zant quickly teleported with the child and ended up behind her mother. He then plunged the dagger into the woman's back.

"Ah!" the woman cried out in pain.

"Mommy!" the little girl screamed in terror.

"I told you there would be consequences if you made another move!" Zant whispered to the woman as she collapsed to the floor.

I jumped for Zant while his attention was averted and went to strike his hand to release the little girl. Unfortunately, his grip was pretty tight and he strong armed me off him. I stumbled back and looked at him slightly confused.

_It's just as I thought, _I pondered, _that Fused Shadow makes him stronger._

Zant narrowed his eyes at me and put the bloody dagger back to the girl's throat. The child was inconsolable, she was more worried about her mother's welfare than her own.

"Mommy! Mommy!" she screamed repeatedly.

Zant turned the child around to face him.

"Shut up!" he screamed in her face.

The young girl's mother turned her head around and looked at her terrified daughter. She tried to reassure her she was okay.

"It's okay Lena," she said to her, "mommy's alright."

I could see that the woman was bleeding profusely.

_You won't be if you don't get some medical attention soon, _I thought.

"Let me get this woman out of here Zant," I said, trying to bargain. "You and I will duke it out, but she needs a doctor now."

The crowd was watching in quiet disbelief, until finally one man spoke out.

"I'm an orthopedic surgeon," he said, pushing his way through the crowd and making his appearance to the clearing. "Let me patch this woman up, she is innocent in this affair."

I looked over at the doctor, then back to Zant.

"Do it Zant," I said, "these people have nothing to do with this."

Zant took in a deep auspicious breath and growled irritably.

"You see that is where you Hylians have it all wrong," he said upset, now taking the little girl by the neck and choking her, "you think everything is based off of guilt or innocence."

My eyes widened in shock when I saw what he was doing. The child was gasping for air and her face was turning blue.

"Zant!" I said in panic. "Stop this madness!"

"Do you think I care about this child's innocence?" he snapped at me angrily, he then turned to the doctor. "Do you think I give a damn about this woman's _innocence_?"

_He's going to kill her! _I thought.

All of a sudden, I saw some rustling movement in the crowd behind Zant, and then a flash of yellow and red flip over him. A young woman with green hair and a clown's body suit struck Zant's arm releasing the little girl he had in his capture.

It was Saria.

Zant stumbled and lost his center of gravity for a moment, and when he saw, Saria he narrowed his eyes angrily.

"You!" he growled.

Saria got into her fighting stance with the dagger she _stole _from Zant's grip. She was quick.

"Yeah," she replied to him, "me."

Oddly enough, Zant smiled slyly when he saw her.

"I'm actually glad you're here," Zant said to her, "you were just who I was waiting for. I still have a _use _for you!"

_Oh no! _I thought, feeling my heart accelerate.

I turned to Saria immediately.

"Get out of here!" I warned. "Now!"

Saria looked at me confused. "What?"

I had no time to explain.

The mother quickly grabbed her daughter and scrambled into the arms of the doctor, who was gesturing for her to come to him. In the mean time, the rest of the crowd was looking in bewilderment at who Saria was.

"Isn't that one of the acrobats?" a man asked his wife from the crowd.

"I think so," she replied, "what happened to her black hair?"

"Wait a minute…" another woman trailed, "isn't that the _seamstress_ that used to live in Kakariko Village?"

"Dear goddesses, I think that is her," another woman confirmed, "she joined the circus?"

"Hey, don't knock it," a man stated, "times are hard."

"I didn't know she could fight," another man said.

_There are _a lot _of things about this woman you people don't know, _I thought.

I swallowed hard and immediately got into my battle stance. I stood in front of Saria.

"I'll take it from here," I said to Saria, wanting her to seriously get away from there, "I want you to leave."

_Please don't fight me on this one Sar, _I begged in my head, _he will kill you if he gets the opportunity._

Saria didn't budge.

"With all due respect Sir Link," she said to me, "Zant and I have a score to settle."

I turned my head to look at her in my periphery.

"I _said _get out of here!" I replied, not in the mood to fight. "Now!"

Before she could reply, Zant raised his fist in the air and suddenly Saria's voice got caught in her throat; she couldn't speak.

I felt my eyes widen.

_What the-? _I thought in panic.

"Saria?" I demanded, wanting to know what was wrong.

Saria's body suddenly levitated above the crowd, until her body was almost touching the ceiling.

"Oh dear Hylia!" a woman cried out. "That poor girl!"

_No! _I thought, feeling my panic swell inside me. _No!_

I looked back over at Zant and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Let her go," I said in warning.

Zant smiled at me with a knowing wicked grin.

"Would you honestly want me to do that with her floating in the air like that?" he asked me with mordant logic. "Unless... you want her to die."

"You know what I mean you perverted deviant!" I snapped angrily. "Release her from your spell!"

Zant smirked at me with inconsequential defiance.

"That's right, you are _in love _with this woman aren't you?" he divulged in apt aberrance.

There was another collective gasp from the audience when Zant revealed that.

"_What_ is he talking about?" I heard a woman whisper to another.

"I have no idea," the other replied.

"But… but he's engaged to the princess," I heard a little boy say, "isn't he?"

"Yes," his mother replied, "that madman is only saying that to get to Sir Link."

"I don't know…" another man trailed cynically, suddenly, "that _is _the seamstress, and there were those rumors about the two of them..."

The crowd continued to drone with confusion and speculation.

I ignored all the chatter.

"Let her go," I repeated to Zant.

Zant tightened his grip in his fist.

"Why should I?" he asked me. "She betrayed me and was nothing but a mere spy. Why should I let her go?"

I gripped my blade and stared him straight in his eyes.

"Because your fight is with me!" I replied, wanting desperately to get Saria out of there.

Zant smiled smugly at me.

"There you go again with your clichéd lines and your silly sense of justice," Zant said to me, then initiated the stance of aku soku zan. "You want to know what real justice is sir knight?"

However, strangely enough, Zant didn't get into his Gatotsu formation.

_What the hell is he doing? _I thought.

"There's only one sense of justice," Zant continued levitating Saria's body higher, until she was literally touching the ceiling.

I broke from my formation slightly and looked up at her body. Her eyes were closed and her head was hanging low.

_Just hang in there, _I thought, trying to stay calm, _don't die on me._

"And that justice must be administered swiftly," Zant went on squeezing his fist tighter, "_Aku_."

Saria all of a sudden cried out in pain.

"Ah!" she screamed.

_What the-? _I thought.

"Quickly," Zant went on calmly and squeezed his fist again, "_Soku_."

Saria screamed louder, but her body began to cast iridized golden brown light.

_What the hell? _I thought, looking at the light. _That's twilight coming out of her body!_

"And without mercy," Zant concluded, squeezing his fist even tighter, "_Zan_."

Saria screamed in agony once more.

"Ahhh!" her voice careened through the hall like a tortured tekkite.

_He's taking all the composited energy out of her body! _I thought. _That's why he stalled! He was waiting for her to make her appearance to create another portal _in this room_! If this keeps up she could die!_

A huge diffraction of light quanta particles protruded from Saria's now limp body before gravity took its toll.

"You wanted me to let her go sir knight," Zant said, looking me straight in the eyes, "so now I've let her _go_."

_She's going to die if I don't catch her! _I thought in slight panic, getting out of my stance and readying myself to catch her.

However, before I had a chance to react Prince Leonhart ran into a jump off Prince Tidus's shoulders and went up to catch Saria. He caught her and landed into a roll with her safely in tow.

"I've got her Sir Link!" Prince Leonhart reassured.

I took in a deep breath and nodded over at him thankfully.

Prince Leonhart put his head to her chest to check for her heart beat. He looked to me relieved.

"She's alive," he said to me.

I couldn't let it show, but I felt a huge weight of worry lift off me.

_Thank Hylia, _I thought.

"Thank you," I replied to him, turning my attention back to Zant, "get her out of here along with the rest of these people."

Prince Leonhart nodded at me, and took Saria in his arms and hurried for the basement staircase. A crowd of people immediately began following after him. Zant smirked at my serious facial expression.

"You think I'm going to make it that easy for you?" Zant asked me with open cynicism.

_No, _I thought, _I know why you did that. You're going to unleash hell right here and you're going to use Saria's composited energy to do it._

I didn't answer I just watched as people nervously funneled past Zant and I. Zant looked at one of the young boys going by and made a threatening pose towards him. The little boy jumped and Zant laughed.

_Why is he waiting? _I thought a little confused. _Why is he allowing the people to go to the basement without so much as a warning?_

"All these people," he said absently as they went by, "resting their hopes in you."

I wasn't going to let him deter me, that was what he wanted.

"It's better than resting their hopes on delusions of grandeur," I replied.

Zant gave me a long once over.

I shouldn't have asked, but I did anyway.

"What's so funny?" I asked, not deviating from my stance.

"You," he replied, then repeated to himself, "hmph, delusions of grandeur."

I didn't reply to that, then suddenly Zant narrowed his eyes at me.

_What the hell is that look all about? _I wondered. _Why is he continuing to stall? He must have something else up his sleeve._

"Did the dark maiden ever tell you about the time I _ravaged_ her?" Zant asked me out of nowhere.

I almost didn't hear him right. I looked at Zant shocked.

"You what?" I asked in an almost inaudible whisper.

Zant raised a brow.

"Did she tell you about the... time... I... raped... her?" he repeated with sick clarity.

I felt like ice just entered my veins. I felt my eyes grow wide and my heart beat accelerate.

_Saria said he never- _I stopped my thoughts as my anger was starting to overwhelm me.

"W-what?" I said, trying not to show how off guard that caught me.

Zant was staring straight into my eyes, I tried to shake his gaze.

"Take out your sword and fight!" I said, not relieving myself of my stance.

Zant narrowed his eyes again and smirked at me.

"From the look on your face I'm going to guess that's a no," he went on quietly. "Yeah... she likes to put up a fight. Apparently she likes it _rough, _and that's exactly how I gave it to her."

I was trying to keep my temper in check.

_I'm going to kill this bastard, _I thought suddenly.

"Take... out... your... sword..." I said, slowly trying to maintain some self-control, as I rapidly felt it leaving me.

Zant continued staring at me.

"But once she's been... tamed, she'll do whatever you want her to," he went on in his own twisted perversion, "and I mean _whatever _you want her to."

_I'm going to kill this son of a bitch, _I thought again, feeling my anger boil.

"Be ready to defend yourself you twisted bastard!" I said, trying to detract the subject.

It was like Zant hadn't heard me.

"But you already know that, don't you sir knight?" Zant continued not letting up, seeing his words were having an effect on me. "You already know what it feels like to be _inside_ that rock hard maiden, don't you?"

I felt my breath quicken.

"Shut up!" I snapped, quickly losing the last remaining temperament I had left.

"She begged for me to stop," Zant went on relentlessly, "but the begging is what really drove me crazy, so I just kept going, and going, and going until I knew she was in a lot of _pain_. She promised me the entire royal family if I'd just take _it _out!"

That was it.

I lost it.

"You twisted son of a bitch!" I retorted and lunged at him.

He parried my strike in expectation of it with one of his own.

"That's right!" Zant said to me excited. "Get angry first knight! Get angry like I've been angry for the last one hundred years!"

I clenched my teeth and looked into his eyes.

"If you touched her I swear to you I'll-" I started angrily.

"After I'm done with you, I'm going to kill her, slowly," Zant interrupted me, now initiating his Gatotsu stance, "but I think before we 'duke it out' as you so elegantly put it earlier, we need some company first."

I was so heated I almost didn't realize what he was talking about, but then I had to remember why he took the energy out of Saria's body in the first place.

_The portal! _I thought.

Zant lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, and instantly a fractal portal sequenced itself in the displaced energy. The citizens still inside the hall saw the sequence and immediately rushed for the basement stairs.

"What is that thing?" a woman cried out fearfully.

"I don't know," a man replied, hurrying past me, "but it looks just like the one outside!"

_That's right, _I thought abruptly, _those portals are all over Hyrule._

There was a bright light that flashed across the room as the fractal shifted, and a loud screeching noise precluded the air. The stairwell was being bomb rushed, but was immediately halted when the citizens turned to see what that horrible sound was coming out of the hole.

"What the hell is that?" a man asked in alarm.

A moment later, a group of Twili warriors had teleported through, and fell to the marble ground, crushing some of the tiles underneath them. They hastily started screeching and ran after anyone within sight. There was no twilight that filtered with it, how the shadow beasts were able to be substantiated in the world of light without the mechanism of the twilight was beyond. Zant no doubt found a way to manipulate the time shift stones so that the shadow beast wouldn't be effected by the light of Hyrule.

_That has to be why the condition of the portal is two hours, _I reasoned.

The insanity had ensued. That was when all hell broke loose.

"AHHH!" people screamed in terror and started trampling towards the staircase.

It was becoming increasingly dangerous near the entrance to the basement. The guard trying to stop the stampede fell to the ground and was being stepped on.

_Oh no, _I thought as I saw more Twili warriors fall through the space and hit the ground, _this is quickly turning into bedlam._

"What the hell is that?" a soldier said in puzzlement of the strange looking combatants.

"Never mind that!" the captain of the guard voiced. "Help the citizens!"

I looked up and back flipped as one shadow beast tried to strike me. I slashed through the beast and it disappeared. Another tried to attack me from the side and I struck that one down as well. I looked back over at Zant and narrowed my eyes at him.

_Hell has finally been unleashed on Hyrule, _I thought, looking around incredulously. _Just like this bastard wanted._

I looked out the window to see if shadow beasts were falling from the portal in the garden, but was surprised to find it undisturbed. The only portal where they were coming from was the one made inside the hall.

_The others were used as diversions! _I thought, signaling the captain in a hurry to bring the rest of the military back to the south gates. _He had no intention of using the other portals! That would take too much energy away collectively, and his efforts have always been on revenge on the royal family._

The captain ordered to soldiers to open the gates to let the other fighters inside. In the mean time, women were screaming as they scrambled to get out of the way of the shadow beasts attacks. The crowd quickly dispersed into chaos: people were running everywhere, guards were trying to defend and direct at the same time, and the Twili beasts were chasing after anyone within their reach. Through it all, I could see Zant's hateful stare.

"The encroachment is here," Zant said, stating the obvious.

"No shit," I muttered to myself angrily.

I made another quick scan of the crowd, many of the people were steadily being funneled downstairs to the underground basement.

_Thank Hylia, _I thought when I saw the hall getting sparse.

However, the Twili warriors were relentless with their long arms and incredible reach. I saw a couple of people being tossed to the side with mere swipes of the hand. I heard the cracking of bones breaking when they landed, knowing they were about to suffer before they died. Others I saw getting their necks snapped, or beaten to a pulp. It was mayhem.

_And Daphnes says the people are here for a reason? _I thought in disbelief.

I abandoned my stance when I saw a shadow beast rushing for a little boy. I hurried and took the little boy into my arms, I then rolled the little boy out of the way.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

The little boy was terrified and quickly shook his head no.

"I'm looking for my daddy!" he said to me in a trembling voice.

_Oh no, _I thought.

"We'll find your father young one," I tried to reassure.

I looked around for another soldier, then motioned for him to come to me.

"Yes sir?" the soldier saluted me.

"Take this child to the basement!" I ordered. "Hurry!"

Coming up behind the soldier was another Twili warrior. I had to quickly get up and defend against it with my sword. I thrust my sword in its belly and the Twili quickly screeched before disappearing into oblivion.

"Get going!" I said, turning to the soldier.

The soldier merely nodded and took the child and headed for the basement.

I tried to take a moment for a breather, and quickly realized that was a mistake. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw Zant suddenly appear in front of me.

_What in the-? _I wondered having to quickly change my stance and guard.

"_Gatotsu ishiki _style!" he exclaimed out of nowhere.

_He's initiating his Gatotsu now? _I thought bewildered.

I quickly dodged his attack, and parried his thrust.

"You forget I've seen your Gatotsu before Zant!" I said to him in my defense stance.

Zant ignored me and initiated the second attack. He lunged at me into his jump attack.

"_Gatotsu nishiki _style!" he said with a war cry.

I set my feet and dodged his attack with a roll to the left. His mid-aerial range attack was predictable, perhaps too predictable.

_Is he doing this on purpose? _I thought suddenly. _He knows I know how to defend his Gatotsu._

Zant initiated his Gatotsu again for his third attack.

_He _is _doing this on purpose, _I realized, _why is he counting down his Gatotsu so quickly?_

"_Gatotsu sanshiki _style!" Zant declared.

He teleported ported like he did before, truncated the attack underneath me, and I maneuvered away from him. However, before I could reengage my battle stance Zant teleported... _again_.

I was truly thrown off by this.

_What is he doing? _I thought flummoxed.

It took me a minute to see where he teleported to, and that was when I saw he was right in _front_ of king Daphnes at the thrones where Zelda and I were sitting during the party.

_Oh no! _I thought in panic, racing for the staircase. _He's going to kill the king!_

"_Gatotsu zeroshiki _style!" I heard Zant say before he plunged the sword into Daphnes chest.

I stopped for a moment and watched in pure horror, but not just me, _every_ Hylian soldier in the room sans the ones fighting the Twili soldiers.

_That's why Zant went through his Gatotsu so quickly, _I thought abruptly, _he was getting me off guard so he could kill the king._

"Oh my goddess!" I heard myself mutter, almost losing my footing from my legs wanting to give way.

"Sire!" several guards said in unison, hurrying for the staircase.

Daphnes staggered back, but kept himself standing. He held up his sword at Zant, he was breathing hard as blood soaked the shirt of his chest. Zant merely stared at the king in cold contempt.

"How does it feel?" Zant asked him in an icy undertone. "How does it feel to know your life is nothing but a pawn on a great big chess board?"

Daphnes just stared back at Zant, not giving him the satisfaction of begging for his life.

"I wouldn't know you deviant," Daphnes replied defiantly, not showing any sign of remorse, "I was never _illegitimate_."

Zant just grinned at the subtle dig.

"Touche," Zant said to him quietly, "that is true, but _I'm_ having the last laugh great king of Hyrule."

Daphnes stared him for just a moment, and strangely a queer smile crept his lips. "Are you?"

I was too far away to hear their conversation and too upset to even care. I hurried to the aide of the fallen king as I came up behind Zant and past him. For whatever reason the would be usurper didn't engage in attacking me. Zant let me be as I stared down at Daphnes, probably wanting me to take in what he had done. I wasn't going to lie I still in shock. I took a step towards Daphnes, but he held up his hand to stop me.

"There's no need for that," he grunted.

Daphnes then looked around and saw everyone staring at him, all the fighting had stopped. Zant held up his hand to motion for his warriors to momentarily cease combat as well. I didn't understand why, but I had a feeling Zant's revenge was more about making Hyrule's royal pay, rather than the senseless killing of Hylian soldiers. In the meantime, the king lifted up his sword and reengaged his fighting stance, even though it was painful for him to do so.

"Why have you stopped defending yourselves?" Daphnes demanded of his men. "You're men of Hyrule!"

Zant looked around, then back at Daphnes.

"They're shocked you old fool," Zant replied simply, "you still don't get it, even after all this time."

Daphnes ignored him, and turned his attention to his people.

"Soldiers of Hyrule," Daphnes said in a strong voice, trying to ignore the dizziness overcoming his natural defenses, "fight! Never give up! Never surrender! Do you hear me!"

Daphnes stood up and blindly went to strike Zant, who merely dodged the attack. The king stumbled, and I tried to help him up, but he pushed me away.

"There is a _collective _resolve in you as there is with every Hylian," he said to me with a vague encryption in his words, "rally the men and utilize it!"

I had no idea what he was talking about. The men stood frozen, still horrified from seeing their king being pierced through.

"Sire..." a soldier trailed faintly.

Daphnes looked around again and tried to invigorate his men once more. He lifted his sword in the air with his last bit of strength.

"Even when all hope seems lost, fight! Fight for Hyrule!" the king declared, his voice was becoming labored. "Fight for your families! For your loved ones! For your country! Fight!"

Even still, no one moved, not even me.

"Sire..." I trailed, coming up the stairs, kneeling down and trying to help the king, "we have to get you out of here. You're bleeding and-"

Daphnes pushed me away from him again.

"Get off me you damn fool!" Daphnes interrupted me ardently, then addressed the crowd again. "I don't need your help! I need _your _resolve! You must fight!"

I swallowed hard, seeing the seriousness of his plight.

_He's going to die... he knows he's going to die and he's right, _I thought for a moment, _he's absolutely right. He needs our resolve now, not our pity._

I looked at the king and cleared my throat. I knew he was trying to be strong. He knew what was happening to him.

_I can't let his death be in vain, _I thought,_ I can't..._

"Yes sire!" I replied, then stood up. "You _have _our resolve."

Daphnes stared at me as a cool sweat seeded his forehead, he merely nodded at me as he placed himself on the ground. I turned around and looked at Zant venomous narrowed eyes. There was no way I was about to let him leave with what he had just done.

_He's shown no mercy, _I thought, _and none will be shown to him._

"You heard your king!" I called out to the other soldiers. "We fight, we live, we die for Hyrule! Do you understand?"

The men were staring at me and listening, but they still seemed felled. I had to get them to see what his majesty wanted them to see.

"Do you hear me men of Hyrule?" I declared once more. "This villain came into _our _land to over throw it! He tried to usurp _our _freedom by means of his vendettas! We won't allow it! We fight, we live, we die for Hyrule!"

I put my sword in the air and looked Zant straight in his eyes.

"We fight! We live! We die for Hyrule!" I repeated in a louder voice with more conviction.

Out of my periphery, I saw the other soldiers starting to nod with my rant.

"We fight! We live! We die for Hyrule!" the soldiers started chanting with me.

We repeated the pronouncement, when all of sudden small beacons of light substantiated from the men and gathered together upon itself. The energy came into the air and rose to the fixtures of the ceiling. However, a moment later another large pulse of energized light came from the basement staircase and gathered with the light already there.

_This_ is_ what Daphnes and Zelda meant, _I thought, finally understanding, _he knew at his death the collective energy of the people would be released the same way the Twili king released the energy in the crystals when he was killed._

This was his last act as the protector of Hyrule.

I reinitiated my battle stance and had my eyes set on Zant.

"Men of Hyrule... attaaaaaaack!" I commanded finally, then ran for Zant to strike him.

There was suddenly a huge epic war cry from all the soldiers.

The rallying seemed to be working because suddenly the men were more tenacious and the tide of the onslaught began to turn. The soldiers were more apt in their fighting, less terrified and fought with more verve.

Zant's eye's narrowed contemptibly at Daphnes and then me when he saw what his words had done to the soldier's morale.

Zant teleported and went to strike Daphnes down, but I quickly went to guard the king. I parried Zant's attack and pushed him down the stairs away from the king. Zant stumbled and fell onto his back. He looked up at me angrily.

I quickly went after him with a jump attack into an _ending blow_, but he maneuvered out of the way before my sword could plunge into him. I quickly pulled the crystal blade out of the marble flooring, and went after Zant.

I was not going to play the position of defense. I was going on the offensive whether Zant was ready for it or not. I went into my guard stance and Zant tried to strike, I _shield butted_ his attack out of the way and struck his belly. A strange visceral cascade of light came through when my sword struck his skin.

Zant stepped back and growled in anger, he then teleported and tried to knife me from behind. I side stepped twice, rolled into an attack and _sliced_ his _back_.

"Ah!" he cried out in pain, but then quickly reengaged himself.

Zant wasn't attacking in any real formation at this point, his attacking had become desperate and uncoordinated. I jumped over his head and did an aerial flip, slicing the _helm _of his head. Blood gushed from his cranium as he turned to look at me with severe violence in his eyes.

"You Hylian bastard!" he screamed at me. "I'm going to bathe in your blood!"

After saying that Zant came and ran at me. I stood my ground and set my feet. When he was close enough I pulled out my blade and sliced across his chest in an attack known as the _mortal draw_. Zant stumbled backwards and grabbed at his chest in pain. He looked at me in pure shock.

There was no remorse in my eyes.

Several other Twili soldiers had become alerted to their master's predicament and came racing towards me. There were about five of them in total.

I saw them in my periphery and readied myself. I ran into a jump attack, but then slammed my sword into the ground and upgraded the attack from a jump attack to a _jump strike_. The blowback sent the Twili soldiers flying out of my strike zone.

Zant flew back as well, but immediately jumped up and came at me with a complete infernal rage in his eyes.

I stood back and readied the stance of the_ amakakeru ryu no hirameki _for my final attack.

_I'm done with this sick bastard, _I thought holding the sheath of my sword in my hand.

When Zant came close enough I pulled out my sword and spun a _great spin _and then thrust my blade into his innards and did not pull it out. The energy in the crystal sword began to release and turn in on itself.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Zant screamed as he tried to pull the sword out of his gut but it burned his hand trying to do so.

I took a step back and watched as Zant fell down on his knees and his body began to displace. He looked up at me with pure hatred in his eyes.

The hall began to shift and suddenly a vacuum force whipped through the air sucking all the Twili fighters to the fractal sequence in the air.

Zant narrowed his eyes at me as his body began to disintegrate.

"You think this is the last your people will see of me white knight of Hyrule?" Zant asked me knowingly, and shook his head. "I _will _find a way back to this realm. Your descendants will be my new enemies, whether they are with the treacherous royal family or the deprave innards of that beguiled green haired witch! I will have my _vengeance_ and I will be more powerful than ever!"

I just stared at him as he continued his spiel.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night you crazy bastard," I said to him and watched as his body slowly shifted back into the fractal space along with the rest of his brethren.

A bright light flashed as the hall shifted once more, and the sequence suddenly dispersed.

Zant and all his minions were gone.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath when it was finally over, but then quickly alerted myself to the king's plight. I ran up to the throne and took the king in my arms and tried to shake him to consciousness.

"Sire!" I said worried. "Sire!"

Daphnes slowly opened his eyes and looked at me. Oddly enough, he smiled at me. I tried to smile back, but the knot in my throat wouldn't allow it.

"Sire, let me have a doctor look at you," I said, trying to be optimistic. "I'm sure he could-"

Daphnes silenced me.

"Enough of that," he interrupted me with a labored breath, "you know there is nothing a doctor can do."

I shook my head defiantly.

"A blue potion will-" I tried.

"I'm ready to die Link," Daphnes interrupted me seriously, "I'm ready... you don't have to sugar coat it for me."

I quickly got quiet when he said that and blinked back the sting that was hitting my eyes.

"You can't die sire," I said trying to reason with him, "you're the king of Hyrule."

Daphnes stared into my eyes seriously for a moment.

"I leave that responsibility to you now lad," he said with his breath getting weaker, "you told me if I left, Hyrule would be in good hands. That wasn't a lie, was it?"

I merely shook my head no.

"No sire..." I trailed, not knowing what else to say.

Daphnes gripped his Estramacon and then took my hand and put it over the tang of the blade.

"Protect _her _Link," he said to me, "protect Hyrule."

I swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yes sire," I replied.

"There really is no more _honorable _a man in my kingdom than you Sir Link," he whispered to me as his vitality was slowly fading from him. "Please forgive me for what I put you through, and tell your green haired friend that I didn't mean to use her, I just didn't know what else to do."

I had to look away because I was becoming emotional.

"I will sire," I said feeling a lone tear run down my cheek.

Daphnes' stare was becoming glassy.

"Please take care of Zelda," he said finally having to swallow hard to get the words out, "she loves you so much. More than you'll ever..."

Daphnes never finished his last sentence.

I stared at him in shock.

_He can't be dead! _I thought. _He can't be!_

"Sire!" I shook him when a little panic came over me. "Sire!"

One of the other soldiers had to come up and stop me from shaking him.

"Sir Link... he's gone," the soldier said touching my shoulder.

I didn't want to believe it, but it was true.

Daphnes stared back at me with lifeless eyes.

The king of Hyrule was dead.

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><p><strong>Please write a review and tell me what you think. The last chapter is coming soon!<strong>


	24. Chapter 24

**Inspiration: Courage... true courage is the will to face adversity even when the odds are against you.**

**Original Shout Out: Kabrex, thanks for reading.**

****Author Note: 5/27/2012- I received a recent PM from one of the regular readers asking what my characters look like. This is how I vision everyone in my head: Link looks like Chris Evans, Saria looks like Megan Fox with green hair, and Zelda looks like Scarlette Johanseen. Yeah, so that's the main cast in my mind. 4/26/2013- ******Thanks for reading everyone this is it!**

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><p>Chapter 24<p>

I stood up and stared down at the king's dead body and took in a deep breath.

"Rest in peace sire," I whispered softly to myself.

I turned to the guard standing behind me.

"Have the royal mortician brought here immediately," I commanded him in a quiet undertone.

"Yes sir," he saluted dutifully and ran off to carry out my order.

I looked at Daphnes once more, but had to turn away due to the sheer incredulity of it all.

_Such a waste of life, _I thought, knowing this all could have been avoided if arrogance and pride were set aside. _You could've lived Daphnes, _I thought upset, _you should still be here._

I had to stop myself. There was no sense reflecting on the 'would be's', 'maybe's', or 'if's'. It was all over now.

Daphnes was gone.

I turned to face the men, they were all looking at me, waiting for some sort of guidance.

_That's right, _I thought, swallowing hard, _I'm regent of Hyrule, I need to organize this mess._

"Escort the town's people out of the basement, and afterwards we'll clear the hall of the..." I paused for a moment, looking around at the dead carcasses, "the debris."

Many of the soldiers nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't say anything. They were still too shocked at what just happened. I wasn't going to lie, so was I.

_This is social upheaval in the worst way possible, _I thought.

I slowly began descending down the steps, when abruptly, the doors to the northern entrance opened. I turned to see who was entering.

"Father!" I heard a woman's voice scream.

It was Zelda.

_Oh no, _I thought.

She ran up the stairs to see her father, but I intercepted her before she could get to him.

"Don't Zelda," I said to her quietly, "you don't want to see that."

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she looked at me.

"Don't tell me what I don't want to see!" she said to me with vehemence. "Unhand me now!"

I didn't loosen my grip.

"Princess…" I trailed, not wanting to go on further.

Zelda still tried to get away from me, but I wouldn't let her go.

"I-I have to see him!" she sobbed barely able to get the words out, she was begging me. "He's-he's my father!"

I hugged her tight after she said that.

"I know," I said against her hair, "but he would want you to remember him as he was Zelda. He wouldn't want you to see him like this."

Zelda looked at me still in semi-shock. Her face crumpled in despair, and she buried her head in my chest. She sobbed inconsolably, and held onto me tight. I sighed and stroked her hair.

"Why didn't he tell me he was going to die?" she demanded of herself. "Why didn't he tell me was planning on something so reckless?"

_We never think about the ones we leave behind when we blindly go to battle, _I thought reflectively for a moment, _everything is always in the moment._

Zelda wiped her eyes and pulled back to look up at me.

"You're all I have left Link," she whispered to me all of a sudden.

I stared into her eyes seriously after she said that. Her words were like a sobriety unguent.

_That's probably true, _I thought.

"Princess..." I trailed, not knowing what to say to that.

I sighed, then hugged her close to me once more.

"I want you to go and rest," I said, trying to sound firm, "I'll take care of this… this mess."

Zelda hugged me back, but then she reached up and caressed my cheek.

"Okay," she replied finally with a nod.

I called a guard over and had him escort Zelda back to the northern entrance. She turned and looked at me as she entered back into the castle. Her eyes were so telling, they were so sad. I turned back around and sighed at what was now going to happen. I watched quietly as the men were beginning to assemble cots and gather the injured for medical attention.

_What's going to happen now? _I wondered. _Who's going to rule the kingdom?_

I _knew _the answer to that question, but it wasn't something I wanted to deal with right away. I saw the fear in the men's faces; the doubt as to what was to come. They just witnessed their sovereign being murdered in front of their faces.

_How in the world am I going to pick up the pieces of this shattered and broken situation? _I thought.

I shook my head of my thoughts, and went to help a soldier set up some leather canvasses. I was fanning out a tarp when a flash of green caught my eye.

_Is that...? _I didn't let my thoughts finish as the two men carrying the cot passed me for confirmation.

I felt my heart accelerate when I turned to see Saria's limp body being carried away near the southern entrance to the gardens. Inadvertently, I stopped what I was doing and went to hurry after her. However, I had to stop myself. I knew with how fragile the current situation was I couldn't go to inquire about her condition just yet. Instead, I stayed back and watched near the entryway as Saria was being placed carefully onto a wagon bed. I felt my throat tighten when she didn't move.

_Is she alive? _I wondered worried. _Had she succumbed to her injuries?_

I watched the wagon giddy away and head towards the castle gate. I watched until the horse and carriage disappeared behind the lawn awning.

_Where is she going? _I thought.

I stopped a soldier momentarily as he tried to walk by me with some medical supplies.

"Where are the injured being carried off to?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"There's an encampment being established outside of Kakiriko Village in Hyrule Field per protocol," the soldier replied.

I merely nodded at his explanation.

The soldier looked at me uncertainly.

"Did you want it someplace else sir?" he asked me.

I tried to smirk and shook my head no.

"That's fine soldier," I replied, "that's perfectly fine."

_I need to know if Saria is okay, _I thought, _Zant did a number on her before he released her._

I wanted to see her, but I knew at the moment she wasn't priority. At least, she wasn't the _situational_ priority. I had to set my personal feelings aside and make sure the everyone else was okay before I thought of anything affecting myself.

_I will check on you later Saria, _I thought, _you're a fighter, I know you'll survive._

I went back inside the hall and spent the next few hours clearing debris and dead bodies with my men. It was very emotional work. Many of the soldiers had to step aside and weep for a moment when they pulled the bodies of friends and loved ones from underneath the rubble. Some were so horribly disfigured they were almost unrecognizable. I had to turn away when I saw the elderly couple that greeted Zelda and me earlier crushed under a slated weight of marble.

_They were... _I didn't know what to think.

I saw the little girl Lena and her mother limp away out the gate with the doctor. He too was organizing a small medical rotation right there in the immediate garden. I was grateful he was using his skill set in the service of others. I turned and saw a man carry his dead wife. The man looked sullen and distraught. There were no tears in his eyes, but that was only because he was too shocked with having lost someone so precious to him. My heart went out to him.

_If I had to carry Saria like that I'd probably be the same way, _I stopped myself from thinking such a thing. _Don't do that Link, you have no idea what Saria's condition is._

I closed my eyes and looked away, only to open them to the little boy I rescued earlier crying over his father's dead body. I felt my stomach drop at the sight. The irony of having saved him from a terrible fate, only for him to live and deal with the devastating effects of the death of his father pained me deeply. It pained me, and it sickened me to my core. I went over to the little boy and touched his shoulder. He didn't move, as his full attention and concentration was on trying to 'wake up' his father.

"Daddy!" he cried. "Come on we have to get out of here!"

I pursed my lips together and picked up the child and held him tight. The little boy hugged me and sobbed into my shoulder.

"He won't wake up master Link!" he cried.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

_I know, _I thought.

"I'm sorry," I said.

The little boy cried and cried. I finally carried him over to a nurse who was gathering all the children together who couldn't find their parents. I put him down, but he was still inconsolable. I spoke with the nurse.

"His father is... not with us," I said, trying to be sensitive to the young boy's feelings.

The nurse nodded and picked the young boy up.

"I see," was all she said, then turned her attention to him, "where is your mother my dear?"

The little boy looked at the nurse and his eyes refilled with tears.

"She's dead!" he wailed, and buried his head in her chest.

I looked away after hearing that.

_Another orphan... _I thought.

"Well..." the nurse trailed, trying to think of something consoling to say, "we'll just have to take good care of you then, won't we?"

The little boy didn't answer. I couldn't blame him, I would be devastated too.

"Is there anything you need me to order for you?" I asked the woman.

The nurse shook her head no.

"We have all the supplies needed for children near the medics bay outside of Kakariko Village and Lon Lon Ranch," she explained, "but I'll recheck once I get there just to be on the safe side."

I nodded.

"Keep me posted," I said, "send a messenger if you need anything."

"Yes sir," she said and bowed.

With that, I bowed back and walked away. I was going to remember that little boy's face for as long as I lived. I was going to remember _this _for as long as I lived.

All of it.

The death.

The destruction.

The despair.

There could have been another way. There _should _have been another way. The crystal sword would have been enough. Daphnes didn't have to sacrifice himself to atone for what he did. There was no need for any of it. This was the result of hubris and madness.

_Damn your stubbornness and pride sire, _I thought, wanting to check my duality, but was at odds with myself due to what I had just witnessed.

I continued to give orders and supervise, when the coroner and mortician arrived a half hour after the cleaning started. Both men and their attendants took Daphnes' body and wrapped it in purple silk, as was the tradition of the embalming process of the royal family. The mortician then came up to me for further directions.

"Would you like us to proceed with the preservation process?" he asked me.

I nodded, but then hesitated.

"Before you do that," I said, "the princess will want to see him."

The mortician merely nodded at me.

"Very well," he said to me, "his body will be ready for the princess's viewing within the hour."

I nodded again, and he walked away, the coroner then came up to me and added, "The cause of death was blunt trauma to the chest," he said, "however, it will be several days before I can give you a full unguent report."

An unguent report was when the coroner used several different potions to determine if poison, toxic substances, or if a secondary means of death by means of bacteria was present in the body.

I sighed troubled.

_Zelda's not going to take this well, _I thought.

"That's fine," I said, "we must be thorough."

The coroner nodded.

"Yes sir," he said, "we'll alert you when we're done."

With that, he bowed and walked away.

_Well, at least that's one thing taken care of, _I thought, trying to find some solace in this mess.

I turned and scanned the crowd for a moment and finally found the dutiful captain of the guard helping to direct citizens from the basement to the refugee camp outside Kakiriko Village. Throughout this entire process, he remained calm and was steadfast.

_He deserves recognition for his efforts, _I thought, _I probably wouldn't have been able to do this without his help._

I motioned for him to come to me. He saw my gesture and saluted, after helping a couple more citizens he came over to where I was.

"Yes sir?" he inquired.

I studied his face for a moment.

"I wanted to tell you you're doing an excellent job," I said to him.

The captain simply nodded and saluted me again.

"Thank you sir," he replied, not really in the mood for adulation and that was understandable, there was still a lot of work to be done.

I paused before I went on.

_No sense beating around the bush, _I thought.

"You're now first knight of Hyrule soldier," I said to him, getting straight to the point.

The captain's eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"Sir?" he replied, not sure if he heard right.

"You're first knight of Hyrule," I repeated, "as regent it is my duty to make sure we have the best people in the best places. You're the best person for that place. Your loyalty is undeniable."

The newly appointed first knight was still in shock.

"Th-thank you sir," he stammered.

I just nodded.

"You may go back to your assignment," I directed.

The captain saluted once more.

"Yes sir," he said, then added, "thank you again."

I nodded once more and he went back to assisting citizens from the basement.

I took in a deep breath and sighed as I watched him walk away.

_This is going to be a long process for everyone, _I thought.

~SSS~

The next half hour passed. Everything was proceeding smoothly in relation to the clean up. I then went to find Zelda so she could see her father before he was embalmed. I was told she was resting in her chambers, and I went to knock softly on her door.

"Yes?" she called from the inside.

"It's Link, Zelda," I called back.

There was a rustling of sheets inside and a brief pause.

"Come in," she said finally.

I entered the room and found her sitting on her bed.

"Hello," I said quietly, honestly not knowing what else to say.

Zelda bit her lower lip and looked away from me.

"What is it Link?" she asked, wanting me to get straight to the point.

I sighed understanding the crispness of her tone.

_I suppose there's no other way to be, _I thought.

"If you want to see your father, now is the time to do so before the mortician begins the embalming process," I replied.

Zelda's eyes refilled with tears and she nodded.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She sounded like she was ready to choke. I took a step towards her in concern.

"Are you alright?" I asked, knowing it was a silly question.

Zelda looked away from me and forced a chuckle.

"My father's dead Link," she said rather blunt, "do you _think _I'm alright?"

I closed my mouth, realizing the inconsiderateness of my words.

"I'm sorry princess," I said quietly, "that was insensitive of me."

She wiped her eyes, and shook her head.

"I understand Link," she said softly, "I know you didn't mean any harm."

I only nodded.

There was a brief pause between us.

"Would you like me to escort you princess?" I asked her all of a sudden. "I know this won't be easy."

Zelda swallowed hard and didn't answer right away.

"Would you?" she asked me softly. "I would greatly appreciate it."

I took another step toward her.

"Of course," I replied.

Zelda wiped her eyes again and got off her bed. She came up to me and took my arm with a trembling hand. I covered her hand with mine securely.

_It's going to be okay, _I thought.

"Ready?" I asked.

Zelda merely nodded.

We left her room and walked down the hall under a light guard to the mortician's lab on the other side of the castle. I paused before knocking on the door. Zelda looked like she was going to faint.

_Maybe this isn't a good idea, _I thought.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked her.

Zelda closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"He's my father Link," she said quietly, "I have to see him one last time."

I wasn't too reassured by her words, but didn't let it show. It was completely understandable that she was distraught, but I was getting concerned for her overall wellbeing. I didn't want her to collapse from shock. Even still, I took in a deep sigh, and knocked on the door. The door immediately opened and the mortician greeted us with a solemn face.

"Your highness," he said to Zelda and bowed respectfully, he then turned to me, "Sir Link."

I nodded back.

The mortician turned to the princess.

"Your father is ready," he said to her softly.

Abruptly, I felt Zelda's hand tremble in my grip. Her legs started to give way. I had to hurry and catch her.

"Zelda," I said in concern, "are you-"

"I'm fine," she interrupted, "I want to see my father."

I looked over at the mortician who had a subtle worried look on his face, and nodded once more. He was hesitant, but he moved out of the way. Once he did, Zelda gasped and took a step back at what she saw.

_Dear Hylia, _I thought, never thinking I'd see this day, _there he is._

There, lying on a marble table shrouded in purple silk, was the fallen king of Hyrule. Zelda let go of my arm slowly and took a couple of steps forward, but immediately her eyes refilled with tears. I let her hand go when she went into the room to approach the table. I looked down at the ground in a moment of solace.

_She needs to do this alone, _I thought, standing back near the doorway.

Zelda stared at her father for a moment before she drew her hand forward, then back, then forward again to stroke his hair. Once her fingers came in contact when his skin she looked like she had a moment of peace.

"Hello father," I heard her whisper.

I felt a little uncomfortable eavesdropping on her intimate moment like that, but felt as though I had no choice. She didn't want to be alone.

_This isn't about you Link, _I told myself, _think of the princess._

Zelda continued to stroke Daphnes' hair.

"You look better than I expected," she went on softly.

I cringed slightly at hearing her say that.

_She shouldn't have to be going through this, _I thought.

"I'm going to protect Hyrule just like you did father," she continued, "I won't let it fall to its enemies."

I looked up at her as she said that.

"Your life was for your people," she whispered, "whether your methods were… not always as clear as they should have been."

I swallowed hard, knowing she was saying that indirectly to me.

_I don't hate your father Zelda, _I thought, _Daphnes and I had our differences true, but I don't hate him._

"Thank you for allowing me to be your daughter," I heard her continue, "I promise to wear your crown proudly, and do all my duties as future queen with the grace you've taught me."

Zelda caressed her father's cheek as her eyes refilled with tears. Her hand was trembling once more.

"Goodbye daddy, may you rest in peace with the kings of old," she whispered softly, then finally backed away from the table.

Zelda turned around and covered her mouth with her trembling hands. She looked at me and ran into my arms. She buried her head into my chest. I held her tight, and let her cry for a few moments.

_Hyrule will be protected Zelda, _I thought, _I stake my life on that._

"Your highness," the mortician began, breaking the brief silence, "are there any… special requests in regards to father's embalming?"

Zelda pulled back from me and turned to look at the mortician.

"I want the traditional Hyrulean burial," she said, "but I want his body to be on display tomorrow so the people can pay their respects before he's buried."

The mortician nodded, then bowed.

"Yes your highness," he said, "I will do all that you desire."

Zelda nodded, then looked up at me.

"Can we leave now?" she asked me, trying to be strong.

I tried smiling at her.

"Of course," I replied.

We left the mortician's laboratory and headed back to Zelda's chambers. At her door she hugged me tight.

"Will… will you stay with me tonight?" she asked me softly.

I sighed.

"You know I can't Zelda," I replied in a quiet undertone, "I have the cleaning to oversee."

She took in a deep breath against me.

"Forgive me for being selfish, but I don't want to be alone," she whispered to me.

I pulled her back from me to look into her sad eyes.

"I'll have one of your servants stay in here with you tonight," I said.

Zelda looked me in the eyes and sighed once more, but reluctantly agreed.

"Okay," she replied.

I stepped back, bowed, and kissed her hand.

"I'll call for them immediately," I said, "goodnight."

"Goodnight my beloved," she replied.

~SSS~

Dusk rapidly shifted into evening. The cleaning of the castle was still mandated, and the soldiers were nearing its completion. I ordered the men to take a break for at least an hour before working again. The soldiers had been going at it nonstop for the past several hours. There was huge progress made from then and now, but admittedly, I had some other things on my mind, so I wasn't completely focused on the task at hand. Well… I had _someone_ on my mind.

_Saria... _I pondered, letting my thoughts trail.

I stood there, in the middle of the banquet hall, wondering what was going on with Saria. I hadn't seen or spoken to her since the events of earlier that day.

_I have to know if she's okay, _I thought worried, _I have to know if she's… alive._

I decided I was going to go visit her at the medic's bay outside of Kakiriko Village. I knew it was a huge risk being seen visiting her, especially after what happened, but I couldn't help it. I needed to know she was alright. I called for the captain, now the new first knight of Hyrule, and told him to oversee the cleaning until I returned.

Before I headed out to the medic's bay, I went to my villa, or what was left of it, it was still under construction, to change out of my white uniform and silver cloak to something less conspicuous. I put on my green tunic, brown cargo pants with matching boots, and black cloak, afterwards I headed out. I decided to walk instead of ride in on Epona. I didn't want to bring any undue attention to myself. I headed out onto Hyrule field and saw the encampment of tents right before Kakiriko impasse.

I lowered my hood and walked into the tents searching for Saria. I saw clusters of people grouped in several tents being treated for wounds and broken bones. Several of the victims were unconscious and receiving fluids for hydration. I had to look away when I saw a little girl crying over her mother's burn injuries, they were pretty extensive.

_That bastard Zant really caused some carnage, didn't he? _I thought, making my way through the encampment.

I was looking into tents unobtrusively. I didn't want anyone to get a good look at my face and realize who I was.

_That would be all I need, _I thought.

I continued my search, and was surprised to see the doctor from the Seaside Laboratory out and about helping some of the citizens. He was still wearing his neck brace, but he was moving without any problems. I also saw the bazaar owner standing over a giant cauldron stirring what looked like medicine and pouring the solution into potion bottles.

_Everyone's lending a helping hand, _I thought with a grin, _that's what Hyrule is all about._

I kept my cloak hung low so gramps wouldn't recognize me and approached the doctor in discretion.

"Excuse me sir," I said to him quietly, trying to mask my voice, "I'm looking for the green haired maiden in the yellow and red jumpsuit."

The doctor turned and looked at me confused, but then his eyes widened with surprise when he realized it was me.

"Master Link!" he whispered.

I put my finger to my lips to silence him.

"Where is she?" I asked.

The doctor took in a deep relieved breath.

"I believe someone of that description is in the back tent being attended to," he said to me quietly, and smirked at me, "your visit will be most welcome. I'm sure she's worried sick about you."

_It can't be half as much as I am worried about her, _I thought.

I smirked back, and nodded.

"Thanks," I said.

He just shook his head.

"I admire that persistent spirit of yours," he said to me, "it serves you well."

I simply nodded and continued to where the old man stated.

I got to the back tent and saw that Saria was the only patient being attended to by a young male medic about my age with sandy blonde hair. It was sort of strange, but he bore a considerable resemblance to me.

_He could be my brother, _I thought, entering the tent.

Saria was lying on a cot with her eyes closed. I saw her chest rise and fall, so I knew she was alive.

_Thank the goddess, _I thought in relief.

The make-up was wiped clean from Saria's skin. Her lips were pale and her hair was wet with perspiration. She looked weak. I was just glad she was alive. The young medic turned at my entrance.

"Good evening sir," he said to me, "do you know this woman?"

I nodded, not wanting him to see my face.

"Yes, I've known her since childhood," I replied simply.

The medic shook his head.

"That bastard really did a number on her," he said to me quietly, "I thought she was going to die. There was a lot of stress put on her heart."

_She almost didn't make it, _I thought.

I nodded again.

"I know," I replied.

He sighed and turned his attention back to Saria.

"I gave her general medicine and some herbs for her fever," he said, going up to Saria and wiping her forehead of her perspiration. "The doctor gave her some blue potion. She's gone from critical to stable over the last two hours."

_Good, _I thought.

"Thank you for taking care of her," I said to him sincere, "she means a great deal to me."

He fanned off my thanks with the gesture of his hand.

"It's no problem," he replied, "it's my job," he then added with a grin, "I have to admit, she's so pretty I wanted to take care of her."

I looked at him surprised, completely oblivious to the fact that she could still have such a strong attraction to people even in such a weak state.

_She is still strikingly beautiful, _I thought.

"Yeah…" I trailed, "she has that kind of effect on people."

The medic stopped wiping her forehead and turned around and looked at me.

"Are… are you her husband sir?" he asked me. "If so, I meant no disrespect."

I shook my head and grinned at the young man.

"No," I reassured, "I'm not her husband."

_I want to be, _I thought, feeling a little bitter with my circumstances, _but I'm not._

The medic stood and washed his hands before offering to shake one of mine.

"I'm Ralph by the way," he introduced himself to me.

I looked at his hand and took it.

"Nice to meet you Ralph," I said, shaking it firmly.

I tried not to look him directly in the face, hoping the hood was providing enough shadow to disguise me. A moment later, Saria stirred at Ralph's and my talking. I was glad to see that she was going to awaken.

"Mmm," she moaned softly and blinked several times.

Ralph let go of my hand and went to see about Saria. He stroked her hair off her forehead with a wet cloth.

"You gave everyone quite a scare little lady," he said to her quietly.

Saria's eyes widened when she saw the medic, but then she looked at him confused.

"Link?" she whispered to him perplexed.

Ralph smiled at her.

"No, I'm not Sir Link," he said to her, "I get that a lot, my name is Ralph. I've been assigned to take care of you."

Saria sighed and looked a little disappointed when he said that, but then she turned her attention to me. Her eyes widened again and she gasped.

_Oh no, _I thought, wanting to avoid being recognized.

"Link!" she said to me in certainty and sat up.

"Easy there, easy," Ralph tried to calm her down, "you can't just switch positions like that, you'll get terribly dizzy."

Saria ignored his words.

"Link is that you?" she asked, now not so sure.

Ralph was taken aback when she said my name for a second time, and turned and looked at me confused.

"Link?" he inquired, looking at me suspiciously for a second.

_I have to diffuse this, _I thought.

I went up to the cot's left side and sat down next to Saria. I then unhooded myself. I had to. I knew if she kept crying out like that it would alert the whole encampment. The medic looked at me in shock.

"Sir Link!" Ralph said surprised. "Sir if I had known it was you I would've-"

"Don't worry about it," I interrupted quietly, "I didn't want anyone to recognize me."

Saria immediately reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged herself close to me. She started to cry.

"I thought I was never going to see you again," she whispered all of a sudden.

I hugged her back cautiously, but was very aware of the medic's presence. I saw his eyebrows go up from the corner of my eye.

_This won't be good, _I thought, remembering this situation was bigger than just Saria and myself.

To make matters worse, Saria pulled back from the hug and kissed my mouth fervently. It was a hungry, passionate kiss, but then again when weren't her kisses hungry and passionate.

"Saria-" I said, trying to pull back, but she wouldn't let up on me. She interrupted me with another kiss.

I saw Ralph's eyes widen in shock from my periphery.

Saria pulled back again and stared into my eyes.

"I love-" she tried.

"Shh," I had to interrupt her softly by putting my finger to her lips, realizing she almost forgot what that phrase could do, "relax, you're okay now."

Saria swallowed hard and stared into my eyes once more before she pressed her mouth against mine again.

_Oh boy, _I thought, _how in the world am I going to explain this? _

"Uh…" Ralph trailed all of a sudden, apparently uncomfortable with what was going on, "why don't I just step out for a moment while you two… talk."

I pulled back from the kiss and turned to look at him.

"Wait," I said to him, not wanting him to go and start a rumor... or spread the truth so to speak.

Ralph froze in his footsteps.

"Yes sir?" he inquired.

I forced a chuckle.

"This isn't what this looks like," I reassured.

Ralph raised his eyebrows at me in apt disbelief.

"… Right, my lips are sealed," he replied mordantly, "I'll just step outside."

Ralph exited from the tent and left Saria and I alone. I turned back to look at her. Saria was still sweating pretty badly, but at least she was awake.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her quietly.

Saria reached up and stroked my cheek, she smiled weakly.

"Better now," she replied.

I grinned at her.

"You have that tenacious fighting spirit," I said to her, "I knew you wouldn't stay down for long."

Saria nodded, then swallowed hard. She looked around, not familiar with her surroundings.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in the medic's bay outside of Kakariko Village," I replied.

She looked at me surprised.

"How long was I out?" she asked me.

I shook my head, honestly not knowing.

"A few hours I suppose," I replied, "you're being taken care of by a really nice guy."

_I hope he heard that if he happens to be eavesdropping, _I discerned.

Saria merely nodded, then sat up in the cot a little more. I felt she was doing more than she should, she was still very weak.

"Whoa, whoa easy there Miss Lady," I joked, aware that she wasn't completely recovered.

She looked at me seriously for a moment, then wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me again.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said to me suddenly.

I paused for a moment to hug her back.

"So am I," I whispered.

Saria sighed and rested her mouth at my ear.

"I thought I was going to wake up and find you gone and married off to the princess," she said to me.

I took in a deep breath when she said that.

"No Saria," I said to her, softly stroking her wet hair, "I haven't married the princess."

She hugged me tighter.

"I... I'm glad to hear that," she said quietly.

I took in a deep sigh, not replying to what she said.

_It's complicated, _I thought, _it's so... damn... complicated._

"Let's run away together Link," she whispered in my ear suddenly.

I closed my eyes when I heard her words, and squeezed her slightly in my arms.

"Let's just get away from here and settle in Ordon where no one knows us," she went on, "well... where no one knows you."

I held her securely and took in another deep breath.

_I want that too Sar, _I thought honestly, _the thing is it's not that simple._

I pulled away from her and looked down. Saria stroked her damp hair behind her ears.

"Forget ten kids, we'll have twenty!" she joked. "No, a whole village!"

I looked up and grinned at her pretty face.

"And you said I was crazy," I replied in a lighthearted manner.

Saria nodded and smiled.

"And don't worry about feeling like you have to tell me you love me," she said to me quietly, "I already know how you feel. I'm okay never hearing it, just as long as you always show it. I'll be such a good wife to you. I'll cook all your favorite meals, and make sure everything is perfect for when you come home from working all day. It'll be perfect! It'll be just what we wanted."

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard again at hearing her say that.

"Sar…" I trailed feeling a surge of unorthodox guilt.

I didn't know where that was coming from. Saria reached up and stroked her fingers through my hair.

"What do you say?" she asked me eagerly.

I sighed and then paused for a moment.

"I say…" I trailed, "I would love to, but I have to figure some things out before anything can happen."

I wasn't just saying that to say that, it was the truth. I had to consider the seal. I had to think about the future of the residents of Hyrule. I had to think about who was going to rule in an equitable manner. I had to think about Zelda. There were so many things to figure out. Saria stared into my eyes for a moment, then looked away and bit her lower lip.

"Oh," was all she replied.

I took her hand in mine.

"I'll figure out a way Sar," I promised, "I'll find _something _to make what we want happen."

Saria didn't look at me and merely nodded.

"I know you will," she whispered to me, not really believing her own words.

I lifted her chin to look me in the eyes.

"I promise you, I will find a way," I whispered to her seriously.

Saria stared back into my eyes and tried to smile.

"Okay," she said.

I stroked her damp hair and kissed her forehead.

"I love-" I pursed my lips and had to catch myself.

Saria looked at me surprised.

"I'm sorry," I said with bitter irony.

She just smiled at me again.

"It's okay," she said, "I _know_ how you feel."

I stared into her eyes again and impulsively kissed her once more. I knew I shouldn't have because it was giving her false reassurances, but I found her present perspired state sexy and irresistible.

_Goddesses, she looks so beautiful like this, _I thought.

"I'll call on you soon," I whispered to her when I pulled away.

"Okay," she said.

"I've got to go," I stated, "I want you to have a speedy recovery."

Saria merely nodded.

I made sure she lay back down and tucked her in under the cot. I then exited the tent and looked for Ralph. I didn't have to look far, he was standing a few feet away from the entrance. I hooded myself and quickly approached him.

"Um…" I trailed, not knowing how to begin, "about what you saw in there-"

"Don't worry," Ralph interrupted me nervously, "I won't say a word to anyone. My lips are sealed."

I studied his face for a moment to see if he was lying, but then realized I didn't want to take it any further than necessary.

"I have your word on that?" I inquired.

Ralph's eyes widened.

"Yes sir," he said, "I put that on the Dirac-ocratic oath as a medic."

I smirked at him and was about to go by, when he stopped me.

"By the way," he said suddenly, "I played _you_, or the hero rather, in the coronation ceremony."

I looked at him surprised.

"Oh really?" I replied with a nod.

Ralph put his hands in his pockets and sea sawed on his heels, he then smirked.

"Yeah," he said casually, "I was about to make my big debut, when you pushed me off the bird to save the princess."

I grinned at his story.

"Sorry about that," I said honestly, "it wasn't personal."

Ralph nodded and fanned off my apology.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, "it was an honor to be shoved by such a distinguished hero."

I smirked at him again and shook my head.

"Thanks," I said with a nod to end the conversation, "and thanks for taking such good care of that young woman."

Ralph merely grinned.

"Yeah," he replied.

I was about to walk away when he stopped me once more.

"One more thing, those herbs I gave her for her fever," he said abruptly, "one of the side effects is acute psychosis. So… if she _said_ anything delusional that's why."

Ralph then grinned at me again.

I raised my eyebrows at his comment, knowing the only reason he was telling me this was because he eavesdropped and heard some of what was said.

_That wasn't psychosis buddy, _I thought, _you just don't know that woman like I do._

"Thanks for the heads up," I verbalized, "have a good night."

I then turned and headed back through the encampment. I was initially going to head home, but decided to find the doctor. I had some inquiries regarding Saria's condition. I found him in a tent near the front entrance. I waited to the side until he was finally free. I waved at him to notice me. The doctor finished his consultation with one of the patients and came to where I was. I turned from facing the encampment for more privacy.

"Did you find her?" he asked me quietly.

I nodded.

"She's going to be okay," I said in relief.

The doctor sighed.

"To be honest with you I wasn't so sure," the old man divulged, "Zant nearly destroyed all the new wave forms in her body. It was fortunate she got a potion cocktail in time, otherwise she wouldn't be here."

I looked over at the doctor somberly for a moment.

_She was so close to death, _I thought.

"How's the princess?" he asked me.

I nodded.

"She's doing okay considering the circumstances," I replied.

The doctor looked out at Hyrule Field and sighed.

"It's a good thing she has you Link," he said to me reflectively for a moment, "she would be all alone."

I looked out at the horizon troubled by that statement.

_All alone... _I thought.

"Yeah," I said, not really hearing myself answer.

There was so much to consider: the kingdom, the seal, Saria's condition, everything.

"Doctor," I started quietly, "tell me honestly, is there another way to cure Saria?"

The doctor took in a deep breath at my question.

"No," he replied quietly, "at least not in any way that I can see."

_That's what I thought, _I thought feeling a swell of bitterness.

"The only way to ensure that your beloved Saria and the kingdom stays safe is if you marry the princess," the old man said to me frankly, "there _is_ no other way."

I looked away angrily.

"Saria's going to hate me doctor," I said, "I promised her I'd find a way."

The doctor nodded.

"Sometimes a comforting lie is better than the truth," he said. "Saria could never hate you, she loves you too much. She'll be hurt in the beginning, but she'll realize it was for the greater good of everyone."

I sighed.

"I hope so," I said to him.

"I know so," the old man said to me with a slight smile.

I glanced over at him and grinned once more.

"Thanks," I said.

"You should probably go home and get some rest," the doctor told me, "heroes need shut eye too."

I was trying to ignore the premise, but the doctor was right. I hadn't had sleep in a while, and there was nothing I could do considering the circumstances.

_I have to be rational, _I thought.

"That's an excellent idea," I said to the doctor, "goodnight."

The doctor nodded at me.

"Goodnight Sir Link," he replied.

I left the medical center and headed back to Castle Town. Enough had been done in one day, there was little more I could do. I needed to go home and get some sleep.

_I'll think about the rest of what I have to do tomorrow, _I thought, changing for bed.

With these thoughts, I went to sleep.

~SSS~

The next day I rose early and headed to the castle to have breakfast with Zelda and discuss the arrangements of her father's viewing. It was a very somber morning, with Zelda eating very little and looking very tired.

_She probably got no sleep last night, _I thought.

I took care of most of her business dealings in regards to her steward and commanded what was necessary of her servants. The viewing was scheduled for ten in the morning. I thought it was kind of morbid to have the earliest thoughts of the day, be those of the dead king. But I suppose it could have been worse if the viewing was at night and people had nightmares about it.

_I guess it's all in how you look at it, _I thought.

It was nearing the time, and I was sitting with Zelda in the counsel room. She looked sullen dressed in all black, but in contrast to her blonde hair she still looked beautiful. It was quiet and reflective between us.

"I..." she trailed softly all of a sudden, "I suppose you're going to want to discuss _other _arrangements with regards to Saria."

I looked at Zelda surprised with regards to the subject matter.

_Why is she bringing this up now? _I wondered.

"We don't need to talk about that right now Zelda," I said to her seriously.

Zelda merely nodded.

"But we do Link," she said to me quietly, "we really do."

I didn't want to discuss such an important matter during such an emotional time.

"Princess-" I tried.

"I love you," she interrupted me.

I turned to look at her.

"Zelda-" I tried again.

"The truth is I haven't changed my mind," she interrupted me quietly, "you can hate me for that, but it's the truth."

I wasn't at all shocked. I was expecting it.

"I know," I said in a quiet undertone.

Zelda looked at me with a queer kind of uncertainty for a moment.

"You know?" she repeated.

I merely nodded.

"Yes, I know," I said with a sigh, "I was trying to figure out some alternative to the seal, but I can think of nothing."

Zelda looked away when I said that.

"You must really love _her_," she said to me quietly with some sadness.

I paused for a moment and decided it was time to be honest.

"I do," I replied, "I've always loved her. I'll always be in love with her Zelda."

Zelda closed her eyes as they filled with tears at my words. I saw that and sighed.

_I suppose that would hurt anyone, _I thought.

"But..." I trailed hesitantly, "it doesn't mean I don't deeply care for you or for Hyrule, and for eight years you have been a rock for me and you have been loyal to me."

Zelda opened her eyes and looked back at me hopefully in that moment.

"What... what are you saying to me Link?" she asked me, biting her lower lip.

I shook my head.

"There was no hidden agenda Zelda," I said softly, "I meant what I said."

Zelda swallowed hard.

"So..." she trailed nervously, "you don't hate me?"

I looked at her seriously as I thought about that.

_Do I hate her? _I thought. _No... I could never hate her._

"No," I verbalized, "you're just doing your duty."

Zelda looked down and trembled a little when I said that.

"You don't know how much that means to me to hear you say that," she said softly.

I grinned with some sadness and went over to take her in my arms. Zelda hugged me back tight.

_I'm about to break someone's heart, _I thought with a deep breath, _but I have to think about Hyrule, the seal, and the future of the country. I can't just think of myself._

It's just as the Deku Tree said, _"You will make the right decision in the end, for life is not always about what you want, but what is required of you..."_

_I'm sorry Saria, _I thought.

I closed my eyes and held Zelda tight against me.

"I'll marry you princess if you'll still have me," I whispered in Zelda's hair softly.

Zelda closed her eyes against my tunic and almost collapsed from shock.

"W-what?" she asked in a quivering voice.

I made sure she was steady before saying it again.

"Will you marry me?" I repeated. "I know I asked you once before, but I feel this is a fitting time to ask you again."

Zelda covered her mouth in utter surprise and elation. I could see a huge smile forming across her face.

"O-of course I'll marry you!" she said to me with a rare jolt of excitement. "You're all I ever wanted!"

She pulled back and looked up into my eyes.

"Oh Link!" she cried out happily and threw her arms around my neck.

I hugged her back and tried to smile through my confusion and guilt.

_I hope you can forgive me Saria, _I thought troubled, _but honestly I'm doing this for you. I don't know what else to do._

Zelda pulled back from the hug and kissed me. When she pulled away she was still smiling through her tears.

"I'll be the best wife in the world!" she promised me. "I'll do right by you I swear! You won't regret it!"

I caressed her wet cheek and sighed.

"I know," I said, trying to swallow the knot in my throat, "I know you only want what's right for everybody."

_Everybody... except Saria, _I couldn't help but think, _I have to break this news to her soon._

I wiped the tears from Zelda's cheeks and offered her my arm.

"It's time," I said in relation to the viewing.

Zelda nodded, remembering the seriousness of the occasion. We headed to the south gate fields where thousands of people were already lined up behind the gate. There lying in a glass coffin was Daphnes' embossed body. He was dressed in dark purple, wearing a crown of gold and bearing a sword of his family crest gripped in the palms of in lifeless hands. Zelda had to turn away momentarily; I completely understood. This was the hardest thing she's ever had to do. Zelda stood a good distance from where her father lay and tried not to become too overcome with emotion. I gripped her hand tight, then nodded to the mortician to allow the viewing to start.

Slowly, but surely citizens came up, viewed the king, and then made their way back out to Castle Town. Some broke down and cried, others fainted, still some children screamed at the sight of the dead body. Zelda held onto me tightly and tried to appear stoic. I looked down at her and tried to be as comforting as possible, this wasn't easy for her.

_I can only imagine what she must be going through right now, _I thought.

I stroked my hand over Zelda's softly, but was taken aback when I saw the next set of persons approach and give respects. It was Saria with the doctor. She had a wreath of lilies in her hand and placed them by the coffin. She inadvertently looked up at me, but then quickly cut her eyes and walked away.

_She's out of bed and walking already? _I thought. _She really does have some resilience, doesn't she? Any children she bears are going to be a marvel._

When I saw her, my heart raced, and I knew it was because it wasn't going to be easy telling her the news.

_Saria... _I thought._  
><em>

When Zelda saw Saria she immediately looked up at me. I had to avert my gaze from Saria so as not to add more to the situation than necessary. Zelda looked back over to the field and watched Saria and the doctor walk away. She gripped onto my arm securely.

_I've already given you my word Zelda, _I thought, _stop worrying._

The viewing went on for another hour, and then Daphnes' body was finally laid to rest. Daphnes could finally rest in peace. No more lies to tell, no more secrets to keep. He was finally free of the burden of the royal family. Now unfortunately, I had to take the mantle.

There was no choice.

_Destiny indeed Daphnes, _I thought, _destiny indeed._

~SSS~

Later in the day, I informed Zelda I needed to run some errands. I needed an excuse to go see Saria. Zelda was antsy about me leaving, but I assured her I would be back at the castle for supper. I headed to the medic's bay and found out that Saria had been discharged home. I then went to the little house they were staying in at Kakariko Village. I was about to knock, but paused when I heard laughter inside and a familiar but foreign male voice.

_Who...? _I wondered and just let myself in.

Everyone turned at my abrupt entry. Saria looked at me surprised, but not as surprised as I when I saw Ralph the medic sitting at the table with her and the bazaar owner and the doctor.

_What's he doing here? _I wondered.

Ralph looked at me with the same wide eyed expression as when we first met. He got up immediately and bowed.

"Sir Link," he said to me respectfully, then came to shake my hand, "it's an honor to see you again."

I nodded at him, not really sure if I was happy or annoyed to see him there.

_Why isn't he at the medic's bay? _I wondered. _Aren't there other patients that need care?_

My expression must have carried my inquiry.

"I... invited him for lunch," Saria said breaking the sudden silence, "Ralph did such a great job nursing me back to health, I had to at least feed him."

Ralph looked over at her and grinned. I grinned too, but I wanted to talk to her alone.

"I just wanted to say it was honor meeting you yesterday Sir Link," Ralph said to me, "I don't know one person who doesn't want to be the Hero of Time."

I merely nodded at his adulation, but really was in no mood for small talk. The doctor must have seen the stress in my eyes. The bazaar owner too, but his attention was fixed more on Saria than me.

"Uh... Ralph why don't I take you to the back and show you how to mix that blue potion so you'll know for emergency purposes," the doctor said to Ralph.

Ralph raised his eyebrows enthusiastically.

"Sure," Ralph said with a shrug, then went to follow the doctor.

However, Saria intercepted him and grabbed his hand before he reached the doctor.

"I'll teach you how to make those blueberry pancakes one day," she said to him with a bright smile.

Ralph smiled right back and nodded.

"I'm sure there are a lot of things you could teach me," he said playfully, "but I'll start with pancakes. It's a date."

_It's a what? _I thought surprised.

Saria widened her eyes at Ralph and blushed.

I wasn't going to lie, I did not like that.

I did not like that at all.

_The only person Saria is supposed to blush for is me, _I thought.

I raised my eyebrows at the interaction between the two of them and immediately became uncomfortable.

_What's going on here? _I demanded in my head feeling a rare case of jealousy.

I knew I shouldn't have been, but I was annoyed with him flirting with Saria in front of me. Well... maybe it wasn't flirting, but the over friendliness wasn't necessary.

_You just met her for Hylia's sake, _I thought.

Ralph then went and followed the doctor to his make shift laboratory in the back.

Saria then turned and smiled at me.

"Hey," she said softly.

I grinned at her.

"Hey," I said back, but then looked past her to the closed door where the doctor and Ralph were, and couldn't shake this hard stare I was getting from the bazaar owner.

_He still hates me it seems, _I thought.

"Can you get away for a couple hours?" I asked.

Saria looked at me surprised, she must've caught the serious glint in my voice.

"Yeah... sure," she said, "let me go get my cloak. Is everything okay?"

_No, _I thought.

"As it can be," I verbalized.

Saria looked at me strangely for a moment, but then went upstairs to grab her cloak. She tied it around herself when she came back down, then looked up at me.

"Shall we go?" she said to me.

I merely nodded.

"Yeah," I said quietly.

We walked out of Kakariko Village and carefully went around the medic's bay so we wouldn't be seen. We then continued to Kokiri impasse, but stopped short at the bridge, we didn't go into the forest. My back was turned to Saria for a moment. Saria came up and touched my shoulder gently.

"Link..." she trailed softly, "what's the matter?"

I closed my eyes at her touch and turned around to face her. Saria looked at me perplexed regarding my serious expression. I could tell she was trying to hide her growing concern.

"What's wrong Link?" she asked me quietly again.

I took in a deep breath and sighed

_What's right? _I thought honestly.

Before I had a chance to speak Saria spoke up.

"Is this about yesterday?" she asked all of a sudden.

I looked at her puzzled by the segue.

"Huh?" I replied. "What are you talking about?"

Saria looked down at her hands.

"I should apologize for that," she said to me, "Ralph saw what happened. I was just so happy to see you, that I couldn't contain myself. I know that must have put you in a bad spot. I'm sorry."

I grinned at her apology.

"That's okay Saria," I said softly, "I'm just glad you're better."

Saria came up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my chest.

"Somehow I knew you'd say that," she said with a grin.

I reached up and stroked her hair, but slowly felt my grin fade.

_I better do this before I lose the will to tell her, _I thought.

I took her arms from around my waist and pulled her back so I could look into her eyes. Saria looked up at me nervously.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

I paused and took a deep breath.

"I..." I trailed anxiously, but found myself not able to go on.

_I'm going to lose her, _I thought, _she's going to hate me._

Saria looked at me with expectance.

"You..." she continued for me.

I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Are... are you worried about Ralph telling anyone about what he saw?" she asked me abruptly.

I looked at her surprised.

"What?" I said.

Saria shook her head.

"Don't worry he won't tell anyone," she said softly, "he told me his lips were sealed."

I merely nodded, not at all worried about that.

_I don't want to hurt you Sar, _I thought, _that's what I'm worried about._

"Oh," I replied, but then I tried, "listen I-"

"Unless of course he's a liar," Saria interrupted absently.

I looked at her flummoxed, but shook my head of the distraction.

"Saria I'm-" I tried again.

"He seems like he has an honest face," she interrupted me again, "he looks _just _like you."

I looked at her again and narrowed my eyes.

_Is she doing this on purpose? _I demanded of myself.

"Saria-" I tried again only to be interrupted again.

"You don't have to be Mr. Killjoy regarding Ralph," she went on.

Now I knew she was trying to avoid the conversation.

_She must know what I'm about to tell her, _I thought.

"Saria-" I tried again.

"Well, that's unless he tries to blackmail us for one of our unborn children," she interrupted again with a forced grin.

_There's not going to be any children Sar, _I thought bitterly.

I looked at Saria, realizing she was stalling.

_I have to just say it whether she's ready for it or not, _I thought with resolution.

"I'm marrying Zelda," I blurted out finally.

At first I didn't think Saria heard me, but when she got quiet, I realized that wasn't the case. She had heard me loud and clear.

Saria looked at me shocked.

"You're-you're what?" she said swallowing hard.

I looked away from her, not wanting to hurt her like this, but I felt as though I had no choice.

_What the hell else can I do? _I demanded of myself.

"I'm marrying the princess," I repeated quietly.

Saria took a step back from me and didn't say anything.

There was a long tense silence between the both of us. Saria took in a deep breath and looked away.

"When did you decide this?" she asked me softly.

I paused, wanting to console her, but when I tried to reach for her she stepped away from my reach.

"This morning," I answered finally with a deep breath.

Saria stroked her hair behind her ears and looked to the ground.

"Oh... congratulations," she finally muttered.

I looked at her, wishing I knew what to say.

"Saria..." I trailed, trying to grab for her hand again, but she snatched it from my grip.

Saria folded her arms across her chest and took another step back.

"You know I never wanted to hurt you," I said to her honestly.

Saria didn't reply, but her eyes were getting watery.

_Oh no, _I thought, feeling overcome with guilt.

"I guess you could look at it that way," she said softly.

I looked at her perplexed.

"What?" I asked her slightly confused.

Saria shook her head and took another step back.

"I... it doesn't matter," she said softly to me.

Tears started to roll down her cheeks, and my heart started to race.

"Sar..." I trailed, trying to take hold of her again, but she wouldn't let me. "Goddamn it! Come on! Please let me at least touch you! I feel bad enough about this as it is!"

Saria shook her head and wiped her cheeks.

"I knew it would end this way," she said absently to herself, "I knew we were never going to be together."

I hated to hear her say that, especially after yesterday, but she was right.

_From the way everything went down it was pointing to this outcome, _I thought embittered.

"I should've stayed in Ordon," she said, talking more to herself than to me.

I took another step towards her.

"Don't say that," I replied, "you never would have remembered who you are."

Saria looked at me and narrowed her eyes.

"I would have preferred it that way!" she snapped at me, her voice suddenly filled with anger.

I looked away as more tears ran down her face. She quickly wiped them away.

"Why do I need memories of someone I can never be with?" she went on frustrated. "I wish to Hylia I never met you!"

My eyes widened with surprise at her blunt honesty.

"Saria-" I tried.

"No Link!" she said to me sharply raising her voice slightly. "Don't try to get philosophical with me! I _meant _that! I wish I had never met you!"

I swallowed hard at hearing her say that.

_This is not how this is supposed to go, _I thought.

"You're only saying that because you're angry," I tried to reason.

Saria nodded in an oblong fashion and stepped back again.

"You're damn right I'm angry!" she said. "You should be _marrying _me! You know that!"

I looked away from her again.

"You're right... I do know that Saria," I replied quietly, "I'm sorry."

Saria's bottom lip started to quiver, and I didn't think I was going to be able to stand and watch her get upset, knowing the news was hurting her so badly.

"You're sorry," Saria repeated in slight disgust. "You... you never loved me," she accused all of a sudden.

I looked at her surprised.

"What?" I demanded.

Saria narrowed her eyes at me again.

"Gramps was right," she went on, "I was just some play thing for you! You never had any real intentions with me to start with! He told me what you two talked about before I went to Lake Hylia! He told me to be careful! All that _wife _talk from you was a lie! You played with my feelings as if they were _nothing_!"

It took everything in me to keep my temper in check, but I was not about to let that slide. There was no way I was going to be accused of not loving her.

"Look," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "I understand you're angry. I get that you're mad at me because of the way things turned out, but you will _not _tell me what my intentions were with you. You have no _goddamn _rights to that! My intentions belong to me alone! Do you understand me?"

Saria looked back at me defiantly.

"You-" she tried.

"You _won't_!" I interrupted her sharply. "You have no idea how much I wanted you over the years, and I'm not going to let your anger with me take that away from me! I wanted to marry you and I still do! You know you're the woman I want! You _know _that!"

Saria wiped her face again, then backed up a few more steps.

"Whatever," she said quietly, more to herself than to me, "I'm done with this. Congratulations again _Sir _Link."

She turned to walk away from me, and that was when I saw the opportunity to finally take hold of her wrist. Saria looked at me surprised at our interlocked hands.

"Let me go," she said in defiance, "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Marry your damn princess and have a happy life!"

I pulled her to me and held her tight at her waist.

"Saria-" I tried.

"Let me go!" she cried out again.

"No," I said firmly.

Saria tried to wiggle herself free, but it was useless.

"I'm marrying her to save you," I tried to reassure.

Saria shook her head.

"You're marrying her to save _Hyrule_!" Saria corrected.

I looked into her eyes desperately.

"Come on Saria, you know I'm doing this for you too!" I stated. "You know how much I love-" I pursed my lips together to stop myself.

_Damn that curse, _I thought.

She still tried to break free. However, after a few minutes she finally settled down when she realized she wasn't going to get away.

"Please let me go," she said quietly, "the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. So again, congratulations."

I loosened my grip on her slightly, but then she tried to break free and run away. I then had to reestablish my hold.

"Let me go!" she said to me with a raised voice, but it was breaking. "Just go back to Zelda!"

Saria's face crumpled into tears. I hated seeing her like this. I absolutely hated it.

_She shouldn't have to feel this way, _I thought upset.

"I'm serious!" she went on barely able to talk. "Go back to the princess! Forget about me!"

I felt my heart skip when she said.

"I can't forget about you Sar," I said to her quietly, "I can't."

I looked into her eyes just then and didn't know what came over me. I leaned forward and kissed her. Saria immediately pulled away, but I was persistent, I turned her face back to mine and pressed my mouth against hers fervently. Any way she twisted I followed right along with her. Until finally she stopped resisting me and kissed me back. I felt her arms go around my neck, and she pulled herself close to me. Her lips were warm and wet, and she opened her mouth to press her tongue against mine. There was so much passion in that kiss. When I pulled away I held her tight against me.

"You know how I feel about you Saria," I said to her quietly, "please, don't hate me."

Saria rested her head against my chest.

"I don't hate you Link," she said finally, "and seriously... I _do_ understand why you're marrying the princess. I'm not going to make this any harder than it already is."

I held her for a moment longer, then had to release her.

"Thank you," I said to her sincere, "I couldn't do this without you understanding why."

Saria merely nodded and stroked her hair behind her ears.

There was a tense silence between us, until Saria finally broke it.

"I better get back," she said quietly, "I promised Ralph and the doctor a game of cuckoo racing."

I tried to grin at what she said, but my grin was short lived.

"Okay," I replied, but then added, "you... _are_ coming to my wedding, right?"

Saria stared at me for a long moment before tears filled her eyes again and a smile curled her lips.

"You're my best friend," she said softly, "I wouldn't miss your wedding for anything in the world. I'll even pretend to be a noble from a far away country like we talked about before."

I felt my throat tighten when she said that, it made think back to when I first invited her.

_"Are you coming to my wedding?" I asked. "I would really like for you to be there."_

_Saria's eyes had widened slightly. __"You want me to come to your wedding Sir Link?"_

_I nodded._

_Saria hesitated for a moment._

_"Isn't it invitation only?" she asked._

_"I can get you the stationery if you want me to make it official..." _

_The surprise in her eyes never went away. __"I... don't know what to say..." _

_I chuckled at her._

_"Say you'll come," I replied, "you can pretend to be a noble from a far off country."_

_That garnered a smile from her, but she shook her head. __"I'm…" she started, "I'm just a peasant girl Sir Link. No one would ever believe I was a noble, I have no business around royalty..."_

Saria was always going to be much more than a peasant girl to me.

Always.

_How can I even reply to that? _I wondered honestly, when the introspection was over.

"Thanks Sar," was all I could reply.

Saria stared into my eyes one last time before turning around and leaving the forest. I stared after her. I felt like I was my ten year old self breaking her heart all over again. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do.

_I'll do right by you Saria, _I thought to myself, _I swear I will._

~SSS~

Almost a year to the day of my telling Saria about my intentions, I married Zelda. It was a beautiful ceremony with a lot of hoopla and fanfare. Zelda looked gorgeous in her wedding gown. The citizens were happy that I was now their king. There were well wishers from all over the kingdom and from nearby regions. Prince Leonhart and Prince Tidus came, they both looked pissed. They had no idea how mutual the feeling was.

Saria came to the wedding as promised. She sat in the back with the doctor. I only knew that because during the majority of the ceremony I was staring at her. She kept giving me the 'thumbs up' signal and gestured for me to smile more. I tried to take her advice, and put up the front needed. That's what king's did, front and smile.

_I guess I'm the ultimate politician now, _I thought.

I consummated my marriage the way every couple does. Zelda enjoyed every moment with me, even when I slipped up and said Saria's name... twice. Still, she paid it no mine, and honestly I just wanted to know if my best friend was okay. So, the next morning I got up and got dressed into my pajamas and headed out to Hyrule Field, but before I could go Zelda stopped me.

"Where are you headed off to so early?" she asked me in a sleepy voice.

I turned at the bedroom door and grinned at her.

"I just want some fresh air," I replied.

Zelda sat up and pulled the covers to her chest.

"Fresh air?" she asked puzzled. "You know we have a balcony for that, _and _you promised me we wouldn't leave this room for a week."

I chuckled at her sense of priorities and shook my head, but my mind was made up.

"I'll be back," I said and went out the door.

I called for Epona and headed to Kokiri impasse. I didn't know why, I just felt the need to go there. Once I dismounted, I went straight to the Sacred Forest Meadow. There, playing her onxy ocarina just like when we were children, was Saria. She looked surprised when she saw me approach the old stump in my pajamas and sit down next to her.

We were both silent for a moment.

"How did you know I was going to be here?" she asked me finally.

_How _did _I know? _I thought.

"I didn't," I said honestly, "it was just a hunch."

Saria grinned at me.

"That's some hunch," she said.

There was another brief silence.

"So... um..." I trailed, not looking at her, "you _should _be healed now."

Saria looked down at her ocarina, knowing exactly what I meant.

"Yeah," she said absently, "I actually felt the fusion of energy throughout the night."

I closed my eyes embarrassed and didn't look at her. Saria looked over at me with a smirk that widened to a smile.

"_Five _times!" she said to me with a chuckle.

I ran a hand through my disheveled hair nervously.

"Really?" I said, still not looking at her.

Saria nodded, still looking at me with her perpetual grin.

"I knew you were a stud!" she teased.

I turned red as if on command.

"Come on Sar..." I trailed, uncomfortable she knew how many times I... healed her.

Saria turned away and giggled.

"Lighten up," she joked, "Zelda is a very happy bride right now. You should be glad you're a stud!"

I really wanted to change the subject.

"Yeah, I guess," I said, trying to smile, "anyway... how do you feel?"

Saria merely nodded.

"I feel good," she said honestly, then smiled again.

Her smile was infectious.

"It's like you're glowing," I said to her reaching up, and stroking her green hair behind her ear.

Saria bit her lower lip.

"I am actually," she said, her voice was full of happiness.

I smiled back, glad it wasn't as awkward between us as I was anticipating.

There was a brief silence between us.

"Well... I guess there's only one way to know for certain," I said, breaking the silence.

Saria looked down at the ground when I said that.

"Yeah..." she trailed quietly.

I turned and looked at her.

I took in a deep anxious breath.

_I hope this wasn't a fluke, _I thought.

"I love you Saria," I said to her.

Saria swallowed hard and tried to blink back a sudden onset of tears.

"I love you too Link," she said softly.

We both waited in nervous anticipation, but nothing happened. Saria was fine, she wasn't going to disappear. I took her hand in mine and squeezed it affectionately, then without thinking kissed the back of her palm.

"I'm so glad you're going to be alright," I whispered against her skin.

However, Saria looked at me surprised and slowly inched her hand away. I understood why, but I still didn't like it.

Even still, for the sake of peace I decided to change the subject.

"Daphnes wanted me to tell you he was sorry for what he had done," I divulged, "he said he never meant to use you."

Saria looked down and merely nodded.

"He was in a hard position," she said simply, "it wasn't easy having to live with as many secrets as he had."

I agreed with her logic.

There was another brief silence between us.

The conversation I had with Zant the day of the engagement party had been bothering me for a very long time. So much so, I wanted to ask Saria if any of it were true.

"Saria," I began abruptly, "Zant shared some very disturbing information with me awhile ago. I just need to know if it's true."

Saria turned to look at me surprised.

"What are you talking about?" she asked me.

I took in a deep breath.

"Did he... 'ravage' you?" I asked not looking at her. "As he so disgustingly put it."

Her eyes widened.

"No!" she said quickly. "No way! I told you he never violated me."

I shook my head.

"That's not what he told me at the engagement party," I replied seriously, "I want the truth Sar."

"Whatever he said to you, he said to get under your skin," she replied to me adamantly, "Zant never raped me."

I raised my hands in mock surrender.

"Those were his words not mine," I reiterated.

Saria smirked at me.

"That guy was really sick," she said more to herself than to me.

"Yeah," I agreed absently.

Another silence fell over us briefly.

Saria got up from the stump and walked around a patch of foliage surrounding the royal crest. Her back was facing me.

"I have some news," she said quietly all of a sudden.

I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

"News?" I inquired.

Saria nodded then turned around, her eyes were brimming with tears.

I looked at her puzzled.

_Why is she crying? _I wondered, but then realized how dense I was being. _Why wouldn't she be crying?_

Saria bit her lower lip and sighed.

"I-I'm getting married!" she said to me as enthusiastically as possible.

I looked at her stunned. I wasn't expecting that, and as selfish as it seemed, that was not something I wanted to hear.

"What?" I said surprised.

"I'm getting married," she repeated.

I got up from the stump after she said it a second time.

"Married?" I said confused. "To who?"

Saria looked at the ground.

"To Ralph," she said quietly, "he asked me a few weeks ago, and I said yes."

I swallowed hard at the shock I felt.

"You-you can't!" I snapped abruptly.

Saria looked at me taken aback.

"What?" she asked puzzled.

"What about _us_?" I demanded, feeling a sudden onset of anger.

Saria looked at me dumbfounded.

"What are you talking about?" she asked me perplexed. "Link... you're married."

_What the hell is wrong with me? _I thought. _I know that._

"I still had _plans_ for us Saria!" I said to her, taking a step towards her.

Saria's eyes widened in surprise. She shook her head confused.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded of me again.

_What was I talking about? _I thought, realizing my rational judgment was being clouded by a strange sense of desperation.

"I was going to have a little cottage built for us in the forest," I said, not understanding where these words were coming from. "I was going to come to you once a week, no twice a week, where we could still have a measure of what we wanted. We could still have a family Sar! I still want you to have my children. I'm king now! I have more than enough to support you! We could-"

Saria stepped back and looked at me incredulously.

"Do you hear yourself?" she interrupted me in disbelief.

I closed my eyes at her disapproving tone.

"Are you crazy?" she demanded of me. "I will _not _be your mistress! What the hell has gotten into you?"

_What the hell _has _gotten into me? _I wondered.

I ran my hands over my face not sure myself.

"I can't lose you Saria," I said seriously.

Saria looked at me long and hard for a moment.

"You... won't lose me Link," she said softly, "I'll always be here if you need me, but you don't want that. You don't want a life where you'd be constantly looking over your shoulder because you're doing something deceitful. You have a chance to take the royal family in the right direction. If you... if _we _ended up in a situation like what you stated, then you would be no better than the rotten kings of old."

I turned away from her, not wanting to hear her reasoning, but I knew she was right. Saria walked up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head against my back.

"Besides... it wouldn't be fair to Zelda," she said quietly.

I turned around and looked down at her, completely ignoring her last comment.

_The last thing needed to be put in a sentence was 'Zelda' and 'fair,' _I thought.

"Why are you marrying this guy?" I demanded abruptly. "Is it to make me jealous?"

Saria looked at me surprised, but then looked down.

"I like him," she said simply, "I have more going on in my life than to think of ways to make you jealous Link."

There was a brief tense silence between us.

"Are you in love with him?" I went on, not believing her.

She wouldn't look at me.

"No..." she trailed honestly, "but I could fall in love with him in time."

I took in a frustrated sigh and looked away from her angrily. Saria reached up and turned my face back to hers. She looked into my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm not going to pretend to be noble," she divulged suddenly, "he reminds me of _you_. When I look at him, I think about you."

I stared into her eyes and felt guilty.

"Saria-" I tried.

"Can't you just be happy for me?" she interrupted. "Can't you let me have that?"

I looked at her earnestly when she said that to me.

"Of course I want to be happy for you," I said to her honestly.

"Then stop what you're doing right now," she said to me, "just let me have some peace of mind."

I looked at her seriously for a moment. More than anything else, I wanted Saria to have peace of mind. I wanted her to be happy, especially with all she had been through.

I took in a sigh.

_I can't believe how selfish I was trying to be with her, _I thought in disbelief.

"Alright," I said finally, "when's the wedding?"

Saria stared at me for a few moments.

"Next month," she said quietly.

I looked at her surprised.

"Next month?" I repeated.

Saria merely nodded.

"Will you come if you can?" she asked me softly. "Ralph would love it if you could be there."

I looked away from her for a moment.

"Yeah, I'll come," I said honestly.

Saria stared at me for a moment.

"I know you're the king, but-" she started.

"I'll always make time for you Saria," I interrupted softly.

Her eyes filled with tears again when I said that, but then she grinned at me.

"Thanks," she replied to me quietly.

We stood there taking in each other's presence a little while longer, when finally I knew I had to return to the castle.

"I have to go," I said to her not wanting to leave.

"I know," Saria said, and then added quietly, "thanks for everything Link. You're always going to be my hero."

I looked away from her and then decided to head for the staircase. I didn't want her seeing me get emotional.

"No problem," I said clearing my throat, "I'll see you next month."

I was trying to avoid looking into her face. It was no use, she could see the tears in my eyes as I walked by, but she didn't stop me because she knew it wasn't a side of myself I liked to show.

"Goodbye Link," she called to me softly.

"Goodbye Saria," I called back, heading down the stairs and wiping my eyes.

_Well... I guess that's that. _I thought trying to find a sense of resolve in this complicated mess.

I knew it wasn't the most chivalrous exit, but it was the best I could do considering the circumstances.

The important thing was I knew Saria understood.

I returned to the castle. I resumed my role as king, and exactly one month later I watched Saria get married in a simple ceremony in Ordon Village. She and Ralph decided they were going to stay there and raise a family. The village was cleaned up, pumpkins were planted, and a farming community flourished there.

The years went on and Saria and Ralph had five children. Another one was born to Saria years later but the child died. Zelda and I had five of our own, four boys for me and my little princess I named after Saria. So in the end Saria and I did end up with ten children, just not the way we planned.

Saria and I made it a custom every year to come back on the anniversary of her healing to the Sacred Forest Meadow and talk. In the first ten years we talked about our children. In the next ten years we talked about how adolescence was driving us crazy. When we hit thirty years we talked about our children's weddings and soon to be grandchildren.

Saria told me her new infant grandson was named Link after me. I told her it was about time considering I already named my daughter after her. My first born, Daphnes II married a princess from the kingdom of Balaam, his first child was a girl; I named her Zelda. She looked just like her grandmother with chocolate brown hair.

A few more years passed and Saria fell ill and died from fever. I attended her funeral, and then sat and reflected in the Lost Woods. I didn't know how long I was there, and I don't think I ever left honestly.

No, no I sat there and I reflected and I thought about that girl I met all those years ago. That girl with that beautiful green hair.

THE END

* * *

><p><strong>After I finish <strong>**_The Ambivalent Hero _****I will write the sequel to this story. You see those small paragraphs before it ends, well, I plan on writing a story chronicling the next 30-40 years of Link and Saria's friendship. I hope you all stick around to read it, I think it's going to be very good. All the best to you, and thank you for reading ****_The Girl with the Green Hair. _****~ZR~. **


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